PETALING JAYA: The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry is preparing to expand the Malaysian Pineapple Industry Board into a broader statutory body covering pineapples, coconuts and durians, a move aimed at streamlining oversight of high-value fruits.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the government was generally cautious about creating new agencies and preferred a leaner administrative structure.
“Without strong justification, the country does not encourage setting up many new departments. The direction is to remain streamlined. Pineapple and durian are grouped together because they are fruits with relatively high commercial value,” he said when contacted.
He was responding to calls from industry players for the establishment of a dedicated Durian Board.
He noted that the proposal to expand the existing board had been raised as early as 2023, when he assumed the deputy minister’s post, but it remains in the stage of preparing the Cabinet paper.
He added that the rapid growth of Malaysia’s durian industry has led to the mushrooming of various associations, and he hopes players will consolidate under a single national federation to simplify engagement with the government.
“The ministry encourages the durian industry to form a unified national body because there are currently too many associations – representing farmers, manufacturers and others. We hope to have a representative durian federation or board,” he said.
He said a single umbrella body would enable more efficient communication between policymakers and industry stakeholders.
“We cannot possibly check the consignment pricing of every shipment or consult every individual player. A representative body would make engagement more effective,” he added.
The ministry also plans to step up engagement with durian players this year to support healthier industry development, he added.
He noted that the sector continues to encounter challenges, including sudden price drops that sparked intense debate among stakeholders toward the end of last year.
“With production rising, the industry must consider the way forward. Branding requires maintaining the traditional practice of allowing durians to fall naturally from the tree, but if year-round supply is the goal, some have proposed harvesting directly from the tree,” he said.
He noted that issues surrounding the management of the fruit’s ripening process throughout the logistics chain continue to be actively discussed, but a consensus has yet to be reached.
Durian Manufacturers Association president Eric Chan said the industry’s earlier call for a Durian Board was intended to create a platform to discuss the sector’s long-term direction.
“What we need is a platform to discuss the vision and direction of the durian industry,” he said.
He noted that the durian sector has grown into a billion-ringgit contributor to the national economy and requires clearer policies and compliance frameworks beyond export requirements.
“Everyone agrees the industry needs stronger policy support and compliance standards,” he said, adding that the proposed federation is a private sector initiative.
