PUTRAJAYA: Fresh durians from Malaysia can now be exported to China following the signing of the Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Durian from Malaysia today.

Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said Malaysia was granted access to export durian in the form of pulp and paste in 2011 and frozen whole fruits in 2018.

He said this additional export access for fresh durians would expand the local durian cultivation industry and increase the value of the country’s agri-food exports.

“The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) is confident that the implementation of this protocol will spur the growth of local durian cultivation industry and create more opportunities to over 63,000 durian growers nationwide,” he said in a statement.

Mohamad said the protocol allows registered durian growers who received approval from the General Administration of Customs China (GACC) based on compliance with the conditions prescribed in the protocol to export fresh durians to the country.

Industry players interested in exporting fresh durians to China can contact the Agriculture Department via email at pro@doa.gov.my and myskim@doa.gov.my.

In 2022, durians accounted for 58.6 per cent of Malaysia’s overall fruit export value of RM2.01 billion.

China is the main export market for durians from Malaysia, with an export value totalling RM887 million in 2022, and it is projected to increase to RM1.8 billion by 2030.

Earlier, Mohamad and GACC Minister Yu Jianhua signed the protocol, and the documents were exchanged between Mohamad and Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing, during a ceremony witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his counterpart from China, Li Qiang.