TENOM: Tenom is targeting local coffee production to meet at least 50 percent of the demand for four coffee processing mills in the district by 2030, according to Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister (MAFFI), Datuk Jamawi Jaafar.
He explained that efforts to boost coffee production will be strengthened by encouraging residents to register their land for coffee cultivation purposes.
“This year, we’re opening opportunities for interested individuals to plant coffee by registering their land.
“So far, we’ve secured approximately 70 acres for new coffee plantings in Tenom, and I hope this number will continue to grow,” he said.
Jamawi, who is also the Melalap assemblyman, made these remarks in his speech at the Tenom Coffee Festival 2026 held at Dewan Datuk Seri Panglima Antanum on Friday.
Jamawi noted that greater support will be provided to help farmers interested in coffee cultivation, thereby increasing production to meet the needs of coffee processing mills in the district.
According to him, coffee plants require approximately three years before they start producing yields, while dried coffee is currently valued at around RM20 per kilogram.
He mentioned that one of the key challenges to address is the coffee drying process to ensure production output can be managed more effectively.
“We’ll work to overcome drying-related issues through the construction of a coffee drying facility in Tenom.
“This project has been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and will be implemented in the near future. Currently, it’s in the tender process,” he added.
