Pahang keen to export mangosteens to Europe and China
BENTONG: Pahang is aiming to export mangosteens to China and Europe after succesfully penetrating the China market by exporting the Musang King durian.
This was due to growing demand for the purple fruit, said state Rural Development, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Committee chairman Datuk Seri Shafik Fauzan Shariff.
“Mangosteens from Malaysia, especially those produced in Pahang, are of high quality. This has seen the fruit gaining a place in the international market,” he said.
“This has drawn exporters from neighbouring countries to Bentong, particularly Telemong, to lease mangosteen farms. They then have the names of their respective countries ‘stamped’ on the fruit before reexporting them to China and Europe,” he said after the “Flag Off Mangosteens to Europe and China” event at the Telemong community hall here yesterday.
He witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between an exporter of the fruit, DRS Trading Sdn Bhd, and producers from Bentong. Present were DRS Trading director P. Ravindran and Bentong district officer Datuk Azhar Arshad.
Shafik said the agreement would reinforce the cooperation between exporters and producers in venturing into new international markets.
He said this was in addition to boosting local producers’ knowledge about the fruit.
“In Europe, 1kg of high-quality mangosteen is priced at RM35, while in China, it is RM50. This has enabled mangosteen producers to earn more, so they need to know the best practice to produce high-quality fruits.”
According to the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority, mangosteen exports started in 2016, but the demand peaked last year.
Last year, it was estimated that 5,000 metric tonnes of the fruit valued at RM20 million were exported to Europe, while 20,000 metric tonnes valued at RM200 million were exported to China. Bernama