KLK Selborne Estate and Barry Callebaut Joined Forces to Win 'Cocoa Industry Award'
Together with KLK Selborne Estate, one of the leading cocoa plantations in Malaysia owned by Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK), Barry Callebaut initiated a joint agronomy research program in June 2011. Now, KLK Selborne Estate won this year's Cocoa Industry Award for the best plantation in Malaysia given by the Malaysian Cocoa Board. For the awarded plantation, Barry Callebaut contributed the Research & Development facility (that is a laboratory for fermentation research and a laboratory for agronomy research), the cocoa fermentation unit as well as the sun and artificial drying unit.
KLK Selborne Estate and Barry Callebaut Joined Forces to Win 'Cocoa Industry Award'
Together with KLK Selborne Estate, one of the leading cocoa plantations in Malaysia owned by Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK), Barry Callebaut initiated a joint agronomy research program in June 2011.
Now, KLK Selborne Estate won this year's Cocoa Industry Award for the best plantation in Malaysia given by the Malaysian Cocoa Board.
For the awarded plantation, Barry Callebaut contributed the Research & Development facility (that is a laboratory for fermentation research and a laboratory for agronomy research), the cocoa fermentation unit as well as the sun and artificial drying unit.
The criteria evaluated for being awarded as best plantation in Malaysia were: physical quality of the estate, agronomic practices, management, technology usage and welfare.
In light of securing the long-term supply of cocoa beans, Barry Callebaut initiated the joint agronomy research program with KLK Selborne Estatein collaboration with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Switzerland, the Bolivian consultancy ECOTOP and the University of Gent, Belgium.
The research program focuses on developing new agronomy techniques aimed at increasing plantation yields and enhancing cocoa bean quality while managing cocoa plantations in a sustainable manner in order to ensure their future productivity. The results of this multi-year trial will subsequently be used to help develop new strategies for increasing cocoa production.
