The five are Coconut Ingredients Sabah Sdn Bhd (desiccated coconut milk), Anita Fragrance Sdn Bhd (cosmetics), Innoprise Wood Products Sdn Bhd (park furniture), C&F Enterprise Sdn Bhd (snacks), Kebun Rimau Sdn Bhd (juices) and Heera Enterprise (‘kuih cincin’ and ‘kuih lidah’).
Matrade senior director Zulkepli Mohd Perai said of the 174 firms in the state registered with Matrade, 69 are owned by Bumiputeras and 22 by women.
“Matrade also offers various programmes and initiatives including trade promotions overseas such as international trade shows and specialised marketing missions,” he told reporters after the opening of an exporters’ forum by state Local Government and Housing Assistant Minister Datuk Zakaria Edris here Tuesday.
Zulkepli said 14,000 companies are registered with Matrade nationwide, but the number from Sabah is still low.
Firms wishing to venture overseas need to expand their production capacity and improve their branding, packaging and production standards, he said, adding small and medium enterprises in Sabah need to move from producing palm oil and handicrafts to food and beverage processing and furniture manufacture.
— BERNAMA
