MALAYSIA has got a foot in the lucrative Chinese market for durian – and the neighbours are feeling sour, the South China Morning Post reported today.

Malaysia has received the green light to hold a three-day Durian King Festival in Nanning, China, which up till now does not allow the import of fresh durians from Malaysia, only frozen pulp.

While Malaysian durian growers are hoping that the event will lead to unfettered access to the Chinese market, Singapore and Thailand are hoping otherwise.

Singapore does not wish to pay more for Malaysian durians, which prices will almost certainly go up if wealthy Chinese buyers are to start bidding for the fruit.

Thailand, meanwhile, is afraid the lifting of the restriction on Malaysian durians will put an end to its monopoly of the Chinese market for the pungent-smelling fruit. 

And it’s all thanks to the Mao Shan Wang, the Malaysian variety of durian known locally as the “Musang King”.

The craving for its flesh led Beijing to open the doors,  albeit partially, to Malaysia, which was allowed to export the Musang King to China, but only in frozen pulp form.

For the festival in the Guangxi province on Friday, however, Beijing has permitted Malaysia to ship in four tonnes of fresh durian.

Agriculture Minister Shabery Cheek and Parliament Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia will lead the Malaysian delegation attending the event, which is expected to draw 100,000 visitors.

China, the world’s biggest market for durian which received nearly 600,0000 tonnes of the fruit last year, has traditionally depended on Thailand for stock. This is because Thai durian can be harvested just before they ripen, making overseas shipment convenient. Malaysian durian, on the other hand, tend to be left to ripen on the tree and ferment quickly after being harvested, making exports to China a more complex process.

The surge in Chinese demand has been a boon for local producers, with domestic prices for premium AAA Musang King currently hovering at around RM130 ringgit per kg, from around RM50 per kg five years ago. In China, the same breed retails at around RM150 per kg.

“More and more Chinese are coming to visit … They are wealthy and willing to splurge on Musang King. They really like the deep, bitter and buttery taste,” said Stephen Chow, whose family owns multiple durian plantations in Pahang.

In Singapore, durian sellers are wary their businesses could take a hit because of the Chinese enthusiasm for Malaysian durians, which could send prices higher and dampen local demand.

The island state of 5.6 million people imported 17,847 tonnes of durian last year, of which 93 per cent was from Malaysia, according to UN statistics.

“At the end of the day, it’s about how much people are willing to pay, what is their price ceiling. If it (durian prices) goes too high, then we will just have to sell (for less). That’s how the business works,” said Steven Shui, the owner of Singapore’s popular Ah Seng Durian stall. – October 28, 2017.