Government pursues road and rail routes for durian exports to China
Transit-rights negotiations began on July 20, with proposed routes passing through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Malaysia is intensifying talks with regional countries on transporting fresh durians to China overland, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu told the Dewan Rakyat on Oct 20. Delivery by road and rail is expected to take three to four days, he said.
Mohamad said the government was seeking a cheaper, more efficient option than air freight, which carries high costs, or shipping by sea, which takes much longer. He said Malaysian durians were popular in China, although consumers there sometimes struggled to obtain them at more affordable prices.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is coordinating with the Foreign Ministry and Transport Ministry on cross-border routes involving Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, he said.
Formal talks on transit rights started on July 20, Mohamad said in response to a supplementary question by Tan Kar Hing (Pakatan Harapan-Gopeng). Those negotiations are intended to enable the proposed route through the four countries.
