First shipment of durian products to China
KUCHING: Sarawak made its first shipment of frozen durian paste to China yesterday, marking a historic moment for the state.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the ten-tonne shipment would stop at Johor before proceeding to China, known lately for its soaring appetite for Malaysian durians.
“This marks a new beginning for the durian industry in the state and it’s the first time Sarawak has sold durian products overseas,” he told reporters when met after declaring open Top Fruits ( Sarawak) Sdn Bhd ( Top Fruits Sarawak) temporary processing factory at Batu Kitang here.
Uggah, who is also Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister, said the shipment is a follow-up to the memorandum of understanding ( MoU) signed
We hope that they will be able to double their production or purchase this year and double the volume that they are going to ship over to China. Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Deputy Chief Minister
between the state Department of Agriculture (DOA) and Top Fruits Sarawak last year to develop the state’s durian industry.
He said Top Fruits Sarawak had purchased 80 tonnes of fresh local Musang King durians during the durian season from December last year to January this year, which were then processed into 16 tonnes of raw durian paste.
“We hope that they will be able to double their production or purchase this year and double the volume that they are going to ship over to China,” he said, adding that the second shipment would depend on the durian season here.
He noted that the durian paste market was a huge one, with Malaysia producing around 1,400 tonnes of the paste to cater to the demand.
“Sarawak has a lot of empty land which can be developed into durian plantations.
“We have seen a lot of successful farmers, so the most important thing for us is to make sure that these farmers will get the right (durian) variety, go for the latest technology and adopt the right processes so that their income can double or even triple as we move on.”
Meanwhile, Top Fruits Sarawak in its statement said it aimed to produce 60 tonnes of raw durian paste this year which required at least 300 tonnes of fresh local durians.
It thus encouraged farmers to rehabilitate and maintain their current durian trees and supply the fresh durian fruits to them.
“Farmers should be more motivated to rehabilitate and maintain their local durian farms as the marketing aspect has been solved and provided by Top Fruits Sarawak.
“Due to huge potential in export markets, entrepreneurs should venture into commercial farming of clonal durian such as Musang King, Black Thorn and D24 as these varieties are in high demand, especially in China,” said the statement, which also encouraged entrepreneurs to approach DOA for technical advices or collaborate with Top Fruits Sarawak to develop commercial durian farms.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Assistant Minister of Agriculture Dr Abdul Rahman Ismail, Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development permanent secretary Datu Ik Pahon Joyik, DOA acting director Dr Alvin Chai and Top Fruits (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd director Chong Yie Loong.