Arya News - The effort reflects mounting pressure on Malaysia’s durian industry as production outpaces existing export capacity.
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia is exploring a new overland export route for fresh durians to China to ease a domestic supply glut by lowering logistics costs and reaching consumers beyond China’s wealthy coastal cities.
The effort reflects mounting pressure on Malaysia’s durian industry as production outpaces existing export capacity.
The government is in ongoing discussions with the Chinese authorities to establish a land route for fresh durians to be trucked to China, an option that some in the industry have been advocating.
The move comes as Malaysia’s durian sector grapples with one of its toughest seasons in years, with production rising sharply as more orchards reach maturity. With only about 40 tonnes of fresh durians flown to China each day, officials believe a cheaper overland route could allow larger shipment volumes and help ease the domestic glut.
The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority said it will have bought up 1,000 tonnes of the fruit worth RM7 million (S$2.2 million) by the end of the current peak durian season through August to help ease excess supply.
“The Agriculture Department is reviewing the legal compliance and phytosanitary requirements imposed by the transit countries – Thailand, Vietnam and Laos – before exports via the overland route can be considered,” the department said in response to queries from The Straits Times.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is also scheduled to meet local durian industry players on July 17 to discuss export-related issues.
A road to cheaper exports
If overland transport of fresh durians is approved, this will allow larger shipment volumes and reduce logistics costs by up to 40 per cent, a Malaysian official familiar with the matter told ST.
“This is one of the steps that we can take to overcome the glut issue,” said the official, on condition of anonymity as the plan has yet to be approved.
The Agriculture Department is also working with the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute to study the export of “pre-cut” harvested durians, which can withstand the longer overland journey. The term refers to harvesting durians by cutting the fruit off at the stem before they fully ripen, rather than waiting for them to fall naturally.
Any resulting proposal would be subject to approval by Chinese regulators, the department said in a July 2 statement.
In addition, relevant local agencies are studying post-harvest treatment requirements, including measures to prevent mould during the longer journey by road.
The authorities conducted a one-tonne trial shipment in January, involving one tonne of Black Thorn durians delivered to China via the overland route. The journey from Malaysia’s Bukit Kayu Hitam border crossing through Thailand and onward to China took around 75 hours. By comparison, an air shipment reaches the receiving cargo hub China in just four hours.
Malaysia flew its first shipment of fresh durians to China in August 2024 amid great fanfare, two months after the countries signed a deal to expand their trade in the king of fruits from just durian products and frozen whole durians.
The South-east Asian nation hopes to see booming demand for its durians in China now that it has been given a slice of the multibillion-dollar market in the world’s second-largest economy, which already imports fresh durians from its neighbours Thailand and Vietnam.
According to data from China’s General Administration of Customs, the country’s fresh durian imports rose 294 per cent year on year to reach 156,000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2026, with the vast majority supplied by Thailand and Vietnam.
Malaysia produces more than 550,000 tonnes of durians a year. Years of rapid expansion and durian cultivation, as well as modern farming methods that slashed tree maturation times from eight to 10 years to about four, have resulted in a domestic oversupply.
A bumper harvest in 2026, boosted by maturing orchards planted during the last decade’s durian boom, has flooded the market, sending prices tumbling and turning the country’s favourite fruit into an excuse for parties across the nation.
Prices have fallen by about half from 2025. Black Thorn now sells for around RM20 per kg, while kampung durians are going for RM7 to RM10.
At one point, a durian could be had for less than RM1, offering fans an unprecedented opportunity to enjoy South-east Asia’s king of fruits.
Exports have risen accordingly. Malaysia shipped more than 4,000 tonnes of durians – including fresh, frozen and processed products – in June 2026, 40 per cent more than the 2,865 tonnes recorded in June 2025. This builds on a strong 2025 performance, when the country exported a total of 42,994 tonnes worth of all durian products: Singapore ranked as the top destination (20,341 tonnes), with China following closely behind (over 18,370 tonnes).
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said he would seek greater market access for Malaysian durians during his upcoming visit to Beijing in August, when he meets Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
“I will ask him to buy a bit more, then the price will go up,” he quipped, according to media reports.
Quality versus volume
Yet the proposal for overland exports in addition to freshly flown fruit has divided growers and exporters over whether this would undermine Malaysia’s reputation for naturally tree-ripened fruit, which commands premium prices over “pre-cut” harvested durians.
Supporters say it would expand Malaysia’s reach in China, while others argue it could hurt the country’s reputation for naturally tree-ripened durians.
In Penang, durian exporter Steven Yam, who also hosts omakase-style durian tastings, said he does not support exporting “pre-cut” harvested durians.
“What sets Malaysian durians apart is that they are naturally tree-ripened and allowed to drop on their own. That aroma and flavour cannot be replicated. Malaysian durians have their own unique characteristics,” he stressed.
Malaysia is looking to transport fresh durians to China by land to cut logistics costs and expand its export market after a supply glut caused prices to tumble in 2026. PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
China-based food-and-beverage wholesaler Yi Zhi Xiong, who attended one of Yam’s durian tasting sessions, travels to Penang two to three times a year to enjoy the pungent fruit.
“I prefer Malaysian durians because they have a special flavour.”