How much do consumers from China really love Malaysian durian? According to Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu, the answer is “a lot”.
According to Sin Chew Daily, the minister revealed that China spent RM1.19 billion on Malaysian durians in 2023, making it the largest durian export market to date.
Hong Kong and Singapore follow on the list
Hong Kong came in second with RM101 million, followed by Singapore (RM76 million), Indonesia (RM58 million) and the United States (RM35.4 million).
Mohamad Sabu said Malaysia’s durian exports have surged significantly ever since China allowed the import of frozen whole durian in 2019 and fresh durian in 2024. Today, Malaysian durian is exported to over 40 countries worldwide.
He was responding to a parliamentary question from Raub MP Chow Yu Hui, noting that Malaysian durian exports recorded solid annual growth between 2020 and 2024, with North America at 5.2 percent, Europe at 16.2 percent and the Middle East at 8.8 percent.
Ensuring durians meet international standards
To boost export volume, the ministry is ensuring local orchards meet international standards. So far, 1,933 orchards have been certified under the Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices (myGAP) scheme.
Mohamad Sabu said the government is also encouraging farmers to grow high-demand varieties such as Musang King, supported by a RM45 million allocation under the Twelfth Malaysia Plan.
The Long-Term Fruit Planting Development Programme covers 9,402.54 hectares of new planting and replanting from 2021 to September 2025.
