Malaysia is drawing a clear line when it comes to one of its most prized exports, Musang King durians.
This is because Musang King durians belongs exclusively to Malaysia and cannot be marketed under the same name by other countries, according to Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu.
He added Musang King is protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) registration.
Musang King belongs to Malaysia. Other countries cannot call their durians Musang King.
“While durians from other countries may look similar, the taste is clearly different,” he said.
Foreign labelling concerns
As reported by The Star, Mat Sabu was responding to a question raised by Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham, who asked whether the government was aware of durians from Thailand and Vietnam entering Malaysia before being exported to China.
Ngeh also raised concerns about durians sold directly to China being labelled as Musang King, and questioned what steps were being taken to protect Malaysia’s durian industry and its reputation.
In response, Mat Sabu said Malaysia is currently in discussions with China’s customs authorities to safeguard exports of genuine Malaysian Musang King durians.
Ongoing talks with China
Mat Sabu said the government is engaging with the General Administration of Customs of China to ensure Malaysian Musang King exports are properly recognised.
He added genuine Musang King durians exported from Malaysia carry official FAMA and MyBest labels.
“Whenever I visit China, whether for official duties or personal trips, I make it a point to check out the durians sold there.
Sometimes they are labelled as Musang King, but the taste is clearly not the same. That is why our authorities will continue engaging the GACC.”
Defending a high value export
Mat Sabu stressed that Chinese consumers need to be educated to look for GACC approved Musang King durians that bear the MyBest stamp to ensure they are buying authentic Malaysian exports.
He emphasised that protecting the Musang King brand is crucial, as durian exports to China are considered high value and provide a significant income stream for local farmers.
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