PUCHONG: The government wants Bumiputera entrepreneurs to go into durian cultivation on a large scale to take advantage of the multibillion ringgit export market.
"We want more farmers, especially Bumiputeras who have the capital, to use more land for this purpose so that exports can increase," said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.
He pointed to the agreement between Malaysia and China yesterday to allow the export of fresh durian to the latter.
The ministry had said yesterday the agreement would create opportunities for more than 63,000 entrepreneurs.
"And today, the 'New York Times' published a report stating that durian will become a billion-dollar business. If we start planting now, we can reap the benefits in five or six years," Mohamad told reporters at the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia's Ibadah Korban programme here, today.
Malaysia was previously allowed to export durians to China as pulp and frozen whole fruit.