By Sulyn Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — A Malaysian organisation has signed a strategic partnership with its Filipino counterpart to develop cocoa products, with a value of RM30 million, at the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) 2022 today.
The event saw Lavasse Bhd chief executive officer Azrinna Hamidun and chief operating officer Sri Salawa Salawati Harun together with MS3 Agri-Ventures Corporation founder Abdul Kareem Santillan and board of directors member Elmer Atun Jr sign and exchange the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two parties.
It was also witnessed by state executive councillor for investment, industry and trade Dato’ Teng Chang Khim, who expressed pride at being able to see such a collaboration at SIBS.
“I am very proud to witness this, since it is a testament to SIBS’ success as a business networking platform for the world to meet Asean,” he told Selangor Journal after the signing ceremony between Lavasse Bhd and the Philippines-based MS3 Agri-ventures Corporation.
Teng added that even though official numbers are not in yet, it is highly likely the summit can reach 40,000 visitors by today, as well as reach up to five times the value in targeted transactions.
The MoU saw both parties entering into a business partnership, collaboration and research cooperation on the cocoa supply chain, from cocoa bean to bar.
Lavasse Bhd is a public limited company that manufactures chocolates and other cocoa-related products, and is also a trading and investment holding company which employs a unique strategy to cooperate with the fellow industry players in the Asean region by exercising comparative advantages and ensure the industry’s sustainability across the entire value-chain by adopting Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs).
Similarly, MS3 Agri-Ventures Corporation consists of farmers in the Philippines who come together through community and culture in order to improve the living conditions of poor farmers, guided by the a belief that a thriving community should always be founded in the culture of generosity.
The event also saw the launch of the collaboration’s first product Nutrinibs, premium sweetened cacao nibs that are highly nutritious and provide an impressive amount of protein, fibre, healthy fats, mineral and phytonutrients like flavonoids.
