New phytosanitary protocol to facilitate high quality fresh young coconut exports to China
Malaysia has gained approval to export fresh coconuts to China after the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a new Phytosanitary protocol on 16 April.
According to reports from local media, the MoU was signed as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit to Malaysia.
Agriculture and food security minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the approval was the result of dedicated efforts and continuous negotiations between Malaysia and China to strengthen their long-standing trade ties.
“Yesterday (16 April) marked a historic moment for the country’s agriculture sector with the exchange of an MOU between Malaysia and China through the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements between China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) and Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) for the export of fresh coconuts from Malaysia to China,” Mohamad said in a statement.
Mohamad added that the signing of the protocol was key to ensuring the marketability and competitiveness of Malaysian coconuts in China.
“It will also strengthen the local coconut industry by encouraging good and systematic agricultural practices among local growers, while demonstrating the government’s commitment to enhancing food security and increasing the nation’s agricultural export earnings,” he added.
Department of Agriculture (DOA) director general Datuk Nor Sam Alwi said that Malaysia will begin exporting young coconuts for fresh beverage consumption, with priority given to premium aromatic varieties — particularly the pandan coconut.
She noted that that previously, Malaysia had been exporting young coconuts to China based solely on general phytosanitary certificates, without any specific protocol in place.
“With the implementation of this protocol, greater emphasis is now placed on the requirements for registered farms, adherence to Good Agricultural Practices (myGAP), and compliance with the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system. These measures will ensure that only high-quality and safe young coconuts are exported in line with international standards,” Alwi said.
Malaysia’s coconut production reached 624,000 tonnes in 2023, with 6,000 tonnes of that comprising young coconuts exported abroad.
