by David E.
TENOM: Oct 23, 2026 – Tenom is targeting for local coffee production to meet at least 50 per cent of the needs of four coffee factories in the district by 2030, said Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry (MAFFI), Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.
He said efforts to increase coffee production will be intensified through encouraging the public to register their land for coffee cultivation.
“For this year, we are opening up opportunities for those interested in planting coffee to register their land.
“So far, we have obtained about 70 acres for new coffee cultivation in Tenom and I hope the number will continue to increase,” he said.
He, who is also the Melalap assemblyman, said this when speaking at the Tenom Coffee Festival 2026 at Dewan Datuk Seri Panglima Antanum today.
Jamawi said more support will be sought to help farmers interested in cultivating coffee, thereby increasing production to meet the needs of processing factories in the district.
He said coffee plants require about three years before they begin to produce yield, while the current price of dried coffee is estimated at RM20 per kilogramme.
He explained that among the challenges that need to be addressed is the drying process to ensure production output can be managed better.
“Problems related to drying and so on will be addressed through the construction of a coffee drying factory in Tenom.
“The project has been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and will be implemented in the near future. At present, it is in the tender process,” he said.
He hoped that efforts to expand coffee cultivation and the provision of processing facilities would increase Tenom’s production and ensure sufficient supply for the needs of the local industry.
Earlier, Jamawi together with Tenom District Officer, Alexander Liew, and other ministry officials welcomed the arrival of passengers on the first Ekspres train from Tanjung Aru-Tenom today. The special train service is scheduled to run for three days from today until Sunday.
Jamawi together with Tenom District Officer, Alexander Liew, and other ministry officials welcomed the arrival of passengers on the first Ekspres train from Tanjung Aru-Tenom
Source: MAFFI
