KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s recent move to begin exporting fresh durians to China is set to create a future ripe with promise for local farmers and industry players.
They are banking on the substantial opportunity to offer more premium varieties, aside from the highly sought-after Musang King, also known as Mao Shan Wang, to the largest consumer market for the king of tropical fruits.
Malaysia received the green light to export fresh durians to China in June, after Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur to commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations.
Previously, it could only export durian products and frozen durians to the world’s second-largest economy.
In August, after meeting China’s stringent phytosanitary requirements, about 40 tonnes of fresh durians were successfully shipped over.
According to Bernama news agency, these durians were distributed by 10 importing companies through their retail outlets in six regions: Beijing, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Nanning.
DURIAN EXPORTS ROSE SEVEN-FOLDNow, Malaysia is aiming to export almost US$500 million in durians by 2030.
Demand for the pungent delicacy has rapidly spiked among Chinese consumers in recent years.
Malaysia exported US$36.3 million worth of frozen durians to China in 2018. This rose seven-fold to US$260 million in 2023.
The fruits have been retailing for RM350 (US$85) each in China, said Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu in a Facebook post on Aug 26.
The popular Musang King variety remains a top choice for consumers and is fiercely guarded as Malaysia's intellectual property - a certification which was recently renewed for another decade.casino max
A customer in Malaysia examining durians.