Malaysia foresees great potential to export durians, fresh pineapples, bird's nests and other value-added agricultural products to China, said its Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries Minister Salahuddin Ayub Thursday.
"Malaysia's agricultural products that have high-value export potential included swiftlet nests, durians, pineapples, jackfruits, seaweed and other fishery products," said Salahuddin when answering a question in parliament on the potential of Malaysian agricultural products to export overseas, especially China.
According to the minister, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Thailand and Vietnam were Malaysia's key export markets, accounted for 14.5 billion ringgit (3.5 billion U.S. dollars), or 45.7 percent of total food exports in 2017.
Salahuddin also foresees the fresh fruit durian exports to increase significantly when the frozen whole fruit durians are starting to ship to China, given high Chinese demand for durian variety Musang King.
Malaysia and China are moving close to allow frozen whole fruit durian export to China during the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to the country.
As of August, Malaysia's durian pulp and paste exports to China stood at 7.4 million ringgit (1.77 million U.S. dollars).
