SERDANG: China is expected to make up about half of the RM8bil in memorandums of understanding (MOUs) being lined up at this year’s Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exposition (MAHA 2026).
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said of the RM8bil target, an estimated RM4bil would come from China and RM4bil from other countries.
He said the interest reflected strong foreign appetite for Malaysian agriculture, with 14 countries taking part in MAHA 2026, among them China, the United States, Russia, Japan, South Korea and Brazil.
A ministry official said about 121 MoUs had been lined up, covering technology transfer, investment in Malaysia, export opportunities for local products and training for farmers, including in technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
Mohamad said the ministry wanted the agreements to translate into higher exports and to help local producers move up the value chain rather than shipping raw produce abroad and importing it back once processed.
He pointed to durian, which he said still had strong demand in China even though Malaysian fruit had yet to reach beyond the country’s cities.
“When I went to China, I saw our durians in the big cities and even in smaller cities of three million people,” he said during a press conference after the officiating ceremony on Saturday (Aug 29).
“It has not spread across the whole of China. The demand is still high.”
He said Malaysia had also opened a new pineapple export market in New Zealand, though output was still not enough to meet export demand.
Mohamad said the push to add value would continue through the MAHA Go Global initiative, with the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) helping to market goods from small producers in Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
He said Malaysian products were underrepresented in those markets, where retail goods were largely supplied by Vietnam and Thailand.
Several cooperation agreements are expected to be concluded during MAHA 2026, which runs at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) until Sept 6.
