Agriculture Ministry In Talks To Access China S Durian Market

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The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Agriculture Department are holding discussions with the General Administration of Customs of The People’s Republic of China to gain access to the country’s durian market.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Chan Foong Hin said this was following the success of gaining access to the jackfruit market in China.
“However, the shelf life at room temperature becomes a challenge for Malaysia to maintain the freshness and quality of the exported durians.
“The export of fresh durian to China requires the fruit to be harvested before it is fully ripe to ensure its skin does not crack upon arrival in China,” he said in a statement issued by the ministry yesterday.
Chan said that compared to neighbouring countries, durians from Malaysia are harvested when the fruits reach maturity and fall off, thus shortening their shelf life and making it difficult to be exported fresh to faraway destinations, like China.
He said, because of that, Malaysia uses the latest cryogenic deep-freezing technology so that durians can retain their quality for a longer period.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Security Minister Chan Foong Hin“If Malaysia gains access to the durian market in China, local durian entrepreneurs must be prepared with fruit harvesting techniques that can extend the fruit’s shelf life at room temperature,” he said.
Meanwhile, to empower the Malaysian durian market abroad and increase consumer awareness at the international level, the ministry through the Overseas Agricultural Representative Office and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority also actively carries out promotional programmes including participating in trade exhibitions and organising durian promotion programmes.
Chan said that in 2022, the ministry and its agencies organised or participated in a total of 25 promotional programmes abroad.
This year, the ministry plans to implement a total of 38 promotional programmes,” he said.
- Bernama

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