PETALING JAYA: Malaysians can breathe easy this Ramadan as suppliers say the country’s date supply is sufficient to last through Aidilfitri, despite the ongoing conflict in parts of the Middle East.
Importers say shipments for this year had already arrived months earlier, helping to cushion any immediate impact from the geopolitical tensions in the region.
Ariha Trading Sdn Bhd marketing director Ahmad Johari said the company’s annual shipments of dates usually transported via Jordan, are usually completed within three months after the fruiting season around August.
“Just like durian, dates only bear fruit once a year. After harvesting, the packaging and shipping process usually takes about a month, or up to three months at most.
“For 2026, our shipments have already arrived since January, so there is no cause for concern. Supplies for Ramadan and Aidilfitri are expected to be sufficient this year,” he said when contacted.
According to the World Bank, Malaysia imported nearly 18 million kilogrammes of fresh and dried dates in 2023, valued at almost US$50mil (RM200mil).
However, Ahmad cautioned that the outlook for next year’s Ramadan remained uncertain as importers continued to monitor developments in the Middle East.
“For Ramadan next year, we still do not know how the situation will evolve. We have to wait and see as the conflict could affect logistics and transportation routes,” he said.
While harvesting activities in producing countries − often carried out by villagers − may continue as usual, Ahmad said the main challenge would be transporting the fruit to Malaysia if the conflict persists.
“We can still place orders with our partners, but some shipments may have to be delayed or temporarily stored if logistics problems arise,” he added.
As a contingency measure, Ahmad said the company was considering alternative shipping routes, including using the port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“Shipping through Jordan is usually easier, but we may have to consider other ports to avoid the risk of the dates being left too long in containers, which could lead to contamination or spoilage.
“However, using port in Dubai is less practical as the longer route would increase transportation costs,” he said.
Besides sourcing dates from Palestine, Ariha Trading Sdn Bhd also imports dates from Madinah in Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Assafir Marketing Sdn Bhd, which imports dates from Algeria, said the company was also adopting a wait-and-see approach for Ramadan 2027, although supplies for this year remained secure.
