Fahmi Zainol, Penang’s Agrotechnology, Food Security, and Cooperative Development Committee chairman, said on Tuesday that the joint operation will involve the police, the Agriculture Department, and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority, national news agency Bernama reported.
“We’ve identified two or three hotspots where durians are brought in by truck from Thailand but sold as local produce,” Fahmi said, adding that authorities are now waiting for the right time to carry out raids.
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This picture taken on July 8, 2020 shows durians displayed for sale in Kuala Lumpur. Photo by AFP |
He explained that the crackdown comes in response to public complaints and ongoing inspections. Agencies had recently stepped up enforcement by setting up roadblocks aimed at intercepting non-compliant agricultural products, with a particular focus on durian.
Fahmi noted that durians from other areas are not banned, but must not be passed off as the famed Balik Pulau variety.
To safeguard the authenticity of its durians, Penang rolled out the “Track and Trace” system at the start of June, which tags each durian with a QR code that, once scanned, allows the fruit to be linked back to its originating farm, according to Bloomberg.
It monitors every step of the supply chain, starting with the issuance of barcodes and certificates for each orchard, and is officially recognized by both state and federal authorities.
“Every durian is tagged with a QR code that lets consumers verify its origin, from farm to table,” Fahmi said.
Some 60 farmers have committed to using the system while 20 large-scale operators have already registered, The Star reported earlier this month.
Balik Pulau, famed for its durians, is one of the popular tourist destination in Penang, a major durian-producing region. The Balik Pulau variety is among the more popular durians in Malaysia, alongside Musang King, Red Prawn, and Black Thorn.
Earlier this month, local media reported a surge in tourist arrivals in Penang as the start of the durian season aligned with Malaysia’s school holidays. Hotels across Penang were nearly at capacity, and traffic congestion was widespread, especially around popular durian hotspots.
In addition to local consumption, Malaysia also exports durians to international markets such as China and projects that outbound shipments will hit 1.8 billion ringgit (US$425 million) by 2030. Penang, in particular, exported 67,203 kilograms of durians last year.
