KOTA KINABALU: Koperasi Usahawan Peniaga Inanam Bhd (KoUPIO) wants to expand the market of Coffee Cactus, which is the first product produced by the cooperative, overseas.
KoUPIO chairman Datin Esther Sikayun said that beside marketing the product in Kuala Lumpur, the cooperative intends to expand the market potential of Coffee Cactus to countries such as Singapore, Brunei and China.
She is optimistic that Coffee Cactus will be able to expand its wings due to the potential and uniqueness of the product that is worked on by its 25 members.
“Coffee Cactus is our best project just launched and will be marketed.
“Our goal is to ensure that all members of the cooperative benefit from its sales.
“We have also discussed with the Malaysia Co-operative Societies Commission and the agency will support us to help market it to other cooperatives that have retail stores.
This is in addition to using our products in each of their programmes,” she told Bernama during the launch of the Coffee Cactus product by Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick in conjunction with the promotion programme for cooperatives in the Sepanggar parliamentary district here recently.
Esther pointed out that her cooperative chose the coffee as its first product because the beverage was very popular, with added value as a coffee blend between robusta coffee and the prickly pear cactus fruit.
The idea then came in the form of a three-in-one mixed coffee daily drink packet so that it can be taken anytime and anywhere.
Esther said, among other things, Coffee Cactus will refresh the body, reduce cholesterol and is also an antioxidant.
She said her cooperative will collaborate with University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to produce essential oils based on fragrant lemongrass as its next product.
“Our members have planted fragrant lemongrass to be used as raw material that will be provided to UMS to produce the essential oil,” she said.
