Key facts
- Malaysia is negotiating overland routes to China for durian exports.
- The initiative aims to reduce logistics costs and manage a domestic durian glut.
- A trial shipment via land took approximately 75 hours to reach China.
Malaysia is in discussions with China and neighboring Southeast Asian countries to establish overland transit routes for fresh durian exports. The initiative aims to reduce logistics costs and alleviate a domestic supply glut by increasing shipment volumes to the lucrative Chinese market. Currently, only about 40 tonnes of fresh durians are flown to China daily, and a cheaper overland route could significantly boost this capacity. The Agriculture Department is reviewing phytosanitary requirements for transit countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority has committed to purchasing 1,000 tonnes of durian to manage excess supply. Industry players are also exploring options like exporting 'pre-cut' durians, which are harvested before full ripeness to withstand longer journeys. A trial shipment in January via the overland route took approximately 75 hours to reach China, compared to a four-hour air shipment.