KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has raked in over RM6bil from durian exports to China in just seven years, and now the government is eyeing new markets in Taiwan and Peru to keep the momentum growing.
The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry said durian exports to China amounted to 115,359 metric tonnes or RM6.37bil between 2018 to June this year, with the figures based on the issuing of phytosanitary certificates.
“The ministry, through the Agriculture Department, is committed to exploring new opportunities and expanding our markets to Taiwan and Peru as well.
“Export values are forecasted to reach RM1.8 bil by 2030 and involve exports of up to 69,000 metric tonnes,” it said in a written parliamentary reply on Tuesday (Oct 7).
The ministry also cited statistics showing an upwards trend in the number of durian exports to China.
In 2018, up to 3,555 metric tonnes of pulp and paste durians worth RM202 mil were exported.
Malaysia began exporting frozen durians in June 2019, with exports amounting to 3,177 metric tonnes and valued at RM143mil.
Pulp and paste durian exports also increased to 5,239 metric tonnes (RM168mil) for that year.
In 2020, frozen durian exports increased to 6,225 metric tonnes, valuing at RM286mil while pulp and paste exports dropped to 3,456 metric tonnes.
Frozen durian exports surged twofold in 2021, with 12,153 metric tonnes worth RM577mil exported to China. Pulp and paste durian exports also rose to 5,895 metric tonnes worth RM368mil.
The increasing trend of durian exports to China continued in 2022, with a whopping RM1.277bil or 13,401 metric tonnes of frozen fruit exported. Pulp and paste exports however dropped to 5,703 metric tonnes.
In 2023, as much as 13,983 metric tonnes of frozen durian were exported to China worth RM738mil with pulp paste exports rising two fold to 12,321 tonnes worth RM623mil.
In August 2024, Malaysia began exporting as much as 501 metric tonnes of the fresh fruit to China, with exports of frozen durians and the pulp and paste variations dropping.
As of June this year, fresh durian exports to China have risen to 773 metric tonnes, exceeding a value of RM50mil, with 3,599 metric tonnes and 5,241 metric tonnes of frozen and pulp and paste durians being exported, respectively.
It was responding to a question by Sim Sze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru) who asked about Malaysia’s durian trade performance, and other markets Malaysia is looking into.
