Demand for Malaysian durian in China is outpacing supply
Malaysia’s durian exports to China are expected to increase by 15-20 per cent in 2025 according to Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China (MayCham).
In a report from Bernama, MayCham chairman Loh Wee Keng said demand from Chinese consumers continues to outpace supply, particularly for premium varieties such as Musang King and D24. The predicted rise comes despite challenging growing conditions.
“Although heavy rain in Malaysia caused some fruits to drop prematurely, I foresee the overall export volume this year to be 15 to 20 per cent higher compared to last year,” said Loh.
Loh said that Malaysia’s premium varieties had been able to secure a premium price in China, particularly compared to frozen fruit, which, for many years, had been Malaysia’s only way of exporting to China.
“Right now, it’s impossible to get Grade A Musang King below RM30 per kilogram at farm price. During the off-season like May, prices can go up to RM80 per kilogram. For D24, the lowest is about RM15 per kilogram,” he said.
Fifteen years ago, Loh said the farm price for frozen Musang King was about RM25 per kilogram and could drop as low as RM12 per kilogram during peak season.
“While for frozen D24, the highest could be RM15 per kg, the lowest can come to RM3 per kg,” he added.
This premium sees Malaysian durian competing in the same market as other high-end fruit, according to Loh.
“We are not competing with Thai durians because the prices and quality are completely separate matters. We are actually competing with kiwifruit and cherries as well as those products from Japan such as strawberries and grapes,” he said.
To maintain the reputation of Malaysian durian Loh said the industry must not mislabel lower quality varieties. Helping consumers differentiate is key as well.
“We have to educate Chinese consumers on the real characteristics of Musang King, D24 and others,” he emphasised.
