Jakarta, July 22 -- Malaysia remains heavily reliant on Indonesia for its coconut supply, with around 80 percent of the country's demand met by Indonesian exports, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture.

The agricultural product quality inspector at the ministry's Directorate General of Plantation, Agus Rosyid, said Malaysia's strong reliance on Indonesian coconuts presents an opportunity to strengthen the domestic coconut industry, particularly through downstream process.

"Malaysia relies on Indonesia for nearly 80 percent of its coconut needs. Two years ago, when they faced a raw material shortage, they asked the ministry not to impose an export ban out of concern for their domestic industry," he said on Wednesday.

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