KUALA LUMPUR (July 1): Export of fresh durians from Malaysia to China is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2024, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
The approval to export Malaysian fresh durians to the world’s second-largest economy comes after the signing of the Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Durian from Malaysia during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Malaysia in June.
As outlined in the protocol, Mohamad said that only farms and durian packing facilities that apply and register with the Department of Agriculture (DOA), comply with Malaysian Good Agricultural Practice (myGAP) standards, and receive approval from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) are permitted to export fresh durians to China.
"The ministry expects the registration approval process with the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) to require a period of two to three months before fresh durians from Malaysia can begin to be exported to China, which is expected in the third quarter of this year," Mohamad told Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
Mohamad was responding to a query from Chow Yu Hui (Pakatan Harapan-Raub), who asked about the ministry's efforts to expedite the process of exporting fresh durians to China.
Mohamad added that the ministry, through the DOA, is in the process of finalising the phytosanitary certificate format with the GACC as well as submitting a list of farms and existing packaging facilities that have exported to China to the GACC for fresh durian export approval.
In 2022, durians accounted for 58.6% of Malaysia’s overall fruit export value of RM2.01 billion.
China is the main export market for durians from Malaysia, with an export value totalling RM887 million in 2022, and this is projected to increase to RM1.8 billion by 2030.
For more Parliament stories, click here.