Mat Sabu Says 6 Out Of 10 Shopping Carts He Saw In China Grocery Mart Had M'sian Durians
The minister said Chinese consumers prefer Malaysian durians over those from other countries.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 27 Feb 2025, 04:25 PM
The export of fresh whole durians from Malaysia to China has been wet with an enthusiastic response, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu
He observed that six out of ten shoppers in a Chinese supermarket were purchasing Malaysian durians, reported China Press.
The soaring popularity of Malaysian durians has raised concerns about the country's ability to meet the growing demand in the Chinese market.
"When they (Chinese consumers) buy durians, they don't [care about or] look at the price. I also noticed that out of 10 shopping carts, six had Malaysian durians, indicating a strong preference for our product," he said.
He added that the superior quality of Malaysian durians compared to those from other countries has made them a favourite among local consumers in China.
Last year, Mohamad travelled to China to witness the arrival of the first batch of fresh whole durians from Malaysia
At the time, the minister noted that a fresh Malaysian Musang King was priced at RM350 in Shenzhen and was sold out within hours.
This comes after an agreement was reached with China in June last year, allowing Malaysia to start exporting fresh whole durians after the finalisation of a new phytosanitary protocol, reported Malay Mail.
Previously, Malaysian durians were only exported to China as pulp, paste, and frozen whole fruit.
Mohamad told China Press yesterday, 26 February, that durians have a vast market in China, with export value expected to reach RM1.8 billion by 2030.
According to Bernama, Malaysia exported 413.61 tonnes of fresh durian worth RM24.84 million to China between August and December last year.
