MALAYSIAN growers of the “king of fruits” have dismissed fears that durians grown in China are a threat to their business of exporting to the lucrative Chinese market.

China is expecting its first harvest of durians grown on the Chinese tropical island of Hainan is next month.

“We’re not too worried,” Malaysia Durian Exporters Association president Sam Tan told The Malaysian Insight.

“We still have a competitive advantage. The durians that we export are from mature trees, not from young trees,” he said.

Tan said the Malaysian exporters will just have to embark on an education drive to explain to Chinese consumers why Malaysian durians are of better quality than their locally grown ones.

He said durians thrive in Malaysia because of the soil and climate.

Tan said Malaysia’s Musang king is of better quality than China’s because the quality of the fruit depends on the age of the tree.

The older, the better.

He said the durian trees in China are six years old at most.

He explained that the flesh of the Musang king from young trees tastes ‘light”.

But Tan warned Malaysian exporters not to be complacent because their advantage will not last.

“We do not know what’s going to happen in the future. Nothing is guaranteed.

“New agricultural technology will definitely upset the apple cart. So we have to be on our toes and keep pace with the advances to stay ahead.

Johor Fruit Farmer Association chairman Alvins Lo, said there is a bright side.

He said China growing its own durians means that more people would be able to afford the fruits.

“Durian is one of the more expensive fruits in China. Not everyone can afford it,” he said.

Lo said cheap, local durians will allow more people to taste the fruit.

“It’ll open up the market, which is good,” he added.

Persatuan Pengusaha Tanaman Industri Daerah Raub Pahang chairman Nicky Koh Kuan Heng is not too worried about Chinese durians.

“Our exports will not be affected,” he said.

What worries Koh is that a flood of cheap fruits will cause the price of durians to drop.

“The market for Musang king is not as good as it was two or three years ago. There is now more competition from Hainan, Vietnam and Thailand.”

Koh said the quality of Malaysian durians has always put them on the high-end scale.

“The industry just needs to stay in this direction and maintain the quality of its fruits.”

He said exporters should not try to profit by passing off inferior fruits as good ones.

“Don’t taint our reputation. It is vital to maintain quality so that other countries cannot compete with us.

“If our quality slips, no consumer will buy our durians even if they are cheaper,” he said. – May 15, 2023.