Malaysia is expanding durian cultivation as demand from China increases. Once grown mainly in family orchards and small farms, durian is now attracting investment from large corporations, including property groups and palm oil companies. The government aims for a 50 per cent increase in durian exports by 2030.
Durian, known for its strong smell, is popular in China, where it is used in products ranging from pizza and butter to salad dressing and milk. In Shanghai, durian pizza sells for about 60 yuan (US$8.25), while durian chicken hotpot is priced around 148 yuan (US$20).
Chinese consumers pay high prices for Malaysia's Musang King variety, valued for its texture and bitter-sweet taste. Prices have nearly quadrupled in the past five years. China imported 350,000 tons of durian in 2024, worth US$510 million, according to UN trade data. Nearly 40 per cent came from Thailand, while Malaysia supplied less than one per cent. Malaysia expects exports to China to reach 22,061 tons by 2030, up from 14,600 tons this year, as shipments expand from pulp and paste to whole fruit.
Industry consultant Lim Chin Khee said, "The durian industry is transforming from local to global, large-scale farming due to the great demand from China. Before the boom, a durian farm in Malaysia would be a leisure farm; now they are hundreds of acres and bigger, and many more will come."
Companies, including IOI Corp and Berjaya Corp, have shown interest in durian farming. State-owned Felda has started planting durian, and PLS Plantations announced a US$5 million investment in a durian exporter. M7 Plantation Bhd is developing a 10,000-acre (4,050-hectare) durian estate in Gua Musang, Kelantan, and is selling trees for about US$1,200 each.
Malaysia's agriculture department said durian plantations covered 72,000 hectares in 2024, with expansion continuing. Some palm oil estates are being converted to durian, which is seen as more profitable. Former agriculture officials noted that one hectare of Musang King could generate nearly nine times the revenue of a hectare of palm oil. Sabah state is planning 5,000 hectares of new durian plantings, partly by converting palm land.
The expansion has raised environmental concerns. Local media reported that 1,200 hectares near a forest reserve in Pahang, home to the Malayan tiger, may be cleared for Musang King. Environmental group Peka Malaysia warned, "In a matter of time, the durian boom will run the way of palm oil."
Source: The Business Times