Kuala lumpur: The Department of Agriculture (DOA) has announced that it has not authorised the export of Malaysian fresh durians to China via overland routes. This decision follows confirmation from Chinese customs authorities that such shipments, which involve transit countries, are not included under the current bilateral export protocol.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the DOA received feedback from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) indicating that overland exports of Malaysian fresh durians involving transit countries do not fall under the existing agreement between Malaysia and China. Until a new protocol or amendments to the current agreement are finalised and endorsed by both countries, the use of overland routes will remain prohibited.
The DOA is committed to ensuring that all agricultural exports comply with agreed protocols and legal requirements. The current export protocol for fresh durians is based solely on export routes that have been mutually approved by Malaysia and China. The department aims to strengthen Malaysia's fresh durian export protocols to maintain compliance with international standards and safeguard the country's export market access.
To explore future overland exports, the DOA plans to engage in further discussions with the GACC regarding a proposed protocol for shipping fresh durians through transit countries. These negotiations are crucial to ensure adherence to requirements on traceability, biosecurity, phytosanitary measures, and supply chain integrity across multiple countries during transportation.
The DOA will also conduct engagement sessions with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) and the Malaysian Agricultural Office in Bangkok to gather detailed information on logistics requirements, cross-border arrangements, transit procedures, and regulatory requirements should overland exports be introduced in the future.
Additionally, the DOA has noted the industry's interest in developing value-added durian products, such as pre-cut fresh durians, for export markets. The department emphasises that any proposals must be supported by comprehensive scientific and technical studies to ensure product quality, food safety, and shelf life throughout the distribution process. The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) has been appointed to undertake the necessary studies before any proposal to export pre-cut fresh durians is submitted to the importing country's authorities for consideration.