‘Export of Musang King to China next year possible’
BANGKOK: The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry is expected to receive the approval for fresh whole “Musang King” durian export to China next year.
Its deputy secretary-general, Datuk Mohd Sallehhuddin Hassan, said negotiations with the Chinese government on Musang King export to the country was positive.
“Negotiations with the Chinese government proceeded positively. We have met their enquiries in terms of fruit safety and security. We hope to obtain approval next year but it depends on the negotiation,” he told Bernama.
He was attending a Durian Fiesta at the Malaysian embassy here in conjunction with acquiring export approval for fresh Malaysian Musang King into the Thai market.
He said at the moment, only Musang King pulp was allowed to be exported to China, in frozen and chilled form.
“After several major promotions in China, the people there know the real taste of Musang King and are waiting for the fruit to enter the Chinese market,” he said.
He said durian fans in China were willing to spend on Musang King durians from Malaysia.
Due to the high demand, some fruit traders in China had labelled Thai durians as Musang King to exploit the high price of Malaysian durians, he said.
The Chinese market, Salehuddin said, was important to ensure that the increasing number of durian producers in Malaysia had a market for their fruits.
As such, he said the ministry needed to seek access to the largest durian market in the world quickly.