A cocoa-processing initiative in Kota Samarahan is exploring how Sarawak growers can move beyond selling dried beans to producing chocolate with a distinct local identity. The Malaysian Cocoa Board is processing beans from four locations at a cluster cooperative research centre in Kota Samarahan using a single-origin approach. Bernama reported the board’s account of the work on Oct 17. The remarks were made at the launch of A Malaysian Cocoa Affair 2026 in Melaka. The board said it could bring processing technology to interested farmers and entrepreneurs, with differences in growing areas and processing methods providing scope for different flavours and aromas. The downstream work is separate from the board’s proposal to expand cocoa cultivation in Sarawak. New trees would first need to bear fruit, with additional local supplies envisaged over the next two to three years rather than immediately. For growers, that separates two different opportunities: adding value to beans through processing, and the longer wait involved in expanding production.