China Tropical insights

According to Bernama, Sarawak will start exporting SG-1 (Sarawak Gold-1) pineapples to China and Singapore in 2026. Starting last year, Malaysia has been working to expand pineapple cultivation areas in East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), which have great potential for agricultural development. In March 2024, Sarawak introduced a new variety, SG1 (Sarawak Gold 1) pineapple. This variety, a hybrid introduced from Taiwan, China, has larger fruits with an attractive golden-orange flesh and a candy-like flavor, making it ideal for fresh consumption or juice processing. The flesh is crisp, juicy, and fiber-free, making it very tasty when eaten fresh. Moreover, the growth period of SG-1 is significantly shorter than traditional varieties; while MD2 pineapples require 14-16 months and Moris pineapples need 12 months, SG1 can be harvested in just 9 months. The Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety (MAFS) has set multiple goals to increase local food production. These include increasing local corn production by 30% by 2040 and increasing onion production by 30% by 2030. The aim is to make Sarawak the largest granary in Malaysia by 2030, for which more than MYR 270 million will be invested, prioritizing 10 development projects to enhance irrigation and drainage infrastructure. Image source: www.iloveborneo.my 2025 International Fruit and Vegetable Report. All rights reserved. For reprinting permission, contact the International Fruit and Vegetable Report and credit the source.

The Secretary of State of the Cambodian Ministry of Commerce, Posa Mony, stated that this air export is an effective way to maintain the freshness of durian, with a flight time of only 4 hours ensuring the maximum quality of the fruit. He particularly thanked Cambodia Airways for its efficient logistics support and predicted that the volume of air exports will continue to increase as demand from Chinese importers grows. Cambodia has recently received formal approval from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) to directly export fresh durian to the Chinese market. This marks the seventh type of agricultural product, after rice, cassava, corn, banana, mango, longan, and pepper, that Cambodia is authorized to directly export to China, fully demonstrating the in-depth cooperation and fruitful results between the two countries in the agricultural sector. The total durian planting area in Cambodia has reached approximately 11,000 hectares, with a harvestable area exceeding 7,000 hectares, and an annual production estimated to reach 120,000 tons. To support the development of the durian industry, the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries is formulating relevant policies to support the industry chain, promoting standardized production and international market expansion to ensure the sustainable development of the durian industry.

Core tip: On August 5, the customs authority at the Mang Street International Port in Guangning Province announced that the unit had recently completed the formal clearance procedures for nearly 22 tons of fresh, shelled coconuts, which were exported to the Chinese market via the Beilun No. 2 Bridge Port. This is the first batch of fresh coconuts exported through this port in 2025, demonstrating the potential and effectiveness of Vietnam's high-value-added agricultural product exports.