Cheenah eyes Indonesia and Brunei market for its coffee

Alor Star (ANTARA News) - Producer and distributor of the Alivia brand of coffee mix, Cheenah Succes Enterprise, is planning to bring its coffee to the Indonesia and Brunei market.

The coffee mix is the first such coffee in the country which does not use sugar as its sweetener, its marketing manager Hasnah Wahap said.

However, before it makes its overseas move, the company intends to strengthen its domestic market first.

The product first hit the market in November, selling in Sungai Petani, Kelantan, and Pulau Pinang and it will be soon brought to other parts of the country, Hasnah told Bernama.

Cheenah recorded sales of about 30,000 boxes during this period.

Hasnah said the company hoped to sell about 100,000 boxes for the first quarter of this year taking into view consumers response for the coffee mix which uses extract from the plant commonly known as sweetleaf or by its scientific term, Stevia, in place of sugar.

She believed the company's product would also contribute towards the government's plans to advocate a healthy lifestyle for people.

Although there is competition from various coffee products in the market, she said the company was confident that the Alivia coffee would be able to compete with its unique feature.

The Alivia coffee can be taken by the entire family and those with diabetes as well, she said.

The coffee is produced at a high technology factory in Bukit Mertajam while its distribution centre is based in Sungai Petani.

Meanwhile, Hasnah said the use of the Stevia plant was still new in the country compared with several developed countries that have been long using the natural sweetener.