Fama targets RM80 million from durian exports this year
NILAI: The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority ( Fama) expects durian exports to reach RM80 million this year due to high demand especially from China, said its director- general Datuk Ahmad Ishak. He said last year durian exports recorded RM64.88 million of which 50 per cent of the exports were to China.
“Last year, exports of durian pulps to China stood at 551.159 kilogrammes with an export value of RM26.2 million,” he told the media after launching a seminar on durian exports here yesterday.
He said due to the high demand for Malaysian durians from the Chinese population Fama through the Agriculture and Agro- Based Industry Ministry ( MOA) was exploring for a wider market for frozen durian pulps in the country.
Ahmad said currently Malaysia exported D24 and D197 or better known as Musang King durian pulp and paste to China.
“At the moment there are only nine frozen durian processing plant operators including two from Fama, who have been given the approval to export frozen durian to China. A total of 29 plants are still waiting to be audited and inspected by the relevant departments to certify that the plants meet the required standards for export to China,” he said.
According to Ahmad before frozen durian could be exported to China, the plant operator must ensure that the durians were from certified farms and processed in factories with good manufacturing practices.
In addition he said, the pulps must be frozen at a temperature of - 30 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes and stored and exported at -18 degrees Celsius. Ahmad said to meet the high demand for Musang King durians, Fama was working on durian grafting on adult trees where Musang King shoots were grafted to normal durian trees.
“With this technique the trees will bear Musang King fruits within three years,” he said adding that the normal method of planting from seeds would take eight to 10 years.
Meanwhile, the seminar attended by some 150 participants aimed to enlighten participants on requirements and conditions for exportation of fresh and frozen durian. The programme was held in collaboration with Fama, the Health Ministry, Agricultural Department and International Trade and Industry Ministry. — Bernama