Malaysia ready to cash in on thorny delicacy as it prepares first durian shipment to China

For Malaysia’s first fresh durian exports to China to bear fruit, analysts say they must maintain consistency and comply with Beijing’s standards

Malaysia

Hadi Azmi

Published: 5:48pm, 16 Jul 2024

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Malaysia’s durian industry is poised to meet China’s increasing appetite for the pungent delicacy with fresh exports of the fruit set to begin in October, but experts say maintaining consistency and compliance with Chinese standards are key to securing long-term market growth.

The deal to export fresh whole durian to China materialised in June, after Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim witnessed the signing of an agreement in Kuala Lumpur as part of Li’s visit to Malaysia, marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.

Malaysia has been exporting frozen durian products to China since 2011 and frozen whole durians since May 2019.

Speaking to This Week in Asia, Malaysian durian expert Lim Chin Khee said Malaysia currently produces enough durians to meet the expected spike in demand.

“It is still an expensive delicacy in China, so Malaysia’s supply should be sufficient for now,” Lim said.

“But if the price goes down in the future, things might change.”

China’s Premier Li Qiang (left) shakes hands with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim after a memorandum of understanding signing and exchange ceremony in Putrajaya on June 19. Photo: Malaysia’s Department of Information/AP

In 2023, Malaysia produced more than 455,000 tonnes of durian, of which only 10 per cent were shipped frozen to mainland China, Hong Kong and neighbouring Singapore.

Despite the relatively low number, the export value of frozen durian to China rose from 170 million ringgit (US$36.3 million) in 2018 to 1.2 billion ringgit (US$260 million) last year, according to government statistics.

Last Thursday, Malaysia’s agriculture director general Nor Sam Alwi said the country is already preparing to ship the first 1,000 tonnes of fresh premium durians to China in about three months, pending the finalisation of the export agreement.

“We expect [to export in] October, but everything depends on the speed and approval from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC),” Nor Sam reportedly told national news agency Bernama.

Speaking to This Week in Asia, durian farmer, Heng Wee On, said that he is also waiting for the final export details.

“The demand from China has been great, but we are still waiting for the proper procedure [for the fresh fruit export],” Heng said.

02:05

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With more than 6,000 trees of the much sought-after “Blackthorn” cultivar planted on his hilltop 100-acre durian farm in the northern Malaysian state of Kedah, Heng said that 90 per cent of his farm’s durians are exported overseas, with China being a destination since 2012.

Durian expert Lim said it is crucial to build trust and comply with Chinese regulations to make sure fresh Malaysian durians remain desirable in the Chinese market.

“Ensuring high quality and consistency of produce will be paramount,” Lim told This Week in Asia.

China recently suspended durian imports from 33 Vietnamese sources after finding heavy metals in the fruits, dealing a heavy blow to Hanoi’s exports, which amounted to almost 500,000 tonnes in 2023.

With a shelf life of just under a week from ripeness, the export of fresh durian more than 4,000 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing also imposes a challenge for exporters.

A man arranges durians at a market stall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Reuters

“Ensuring the freshness of durians during transport requires robust cold chain [logistics] infrastructure, which may necessitate significant investment and coordination,” Lim added.

The surge in popularity of the fruit in China in recent years has led to complaints among the Malaysian public, who saw the price of the fruit sharply increasing in tandem with export demands.

In Kuala Lumpur, the Musang King variety sells for upwards of 70 ringgit (US$15) a kilo, with most of the weight going to the fruit’s thick, inedible skin.

Allaying the local concern, Chan Foong Hin, a former deputy agriculture and food security minister, said that the supply of durian in Malaysia is self-sufficient, with production at a surplus of consumption in 2023.

He added that aside from the exclusive varieties, traditional varieties – known as “village durian” – are still widely available and popular with the Malaysian public.