PUTRAJAYA, April 17 — Malaysia has officially received approval to export fresh coconuts to China following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries yesterday, held in conjunction with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit to Malaysia.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the approval was the result of dedicated efforts and continuous negotiations between Malaysia and China to strengthen their long-standing trade ties.
“Yesterday marked a historic moment for the country’s agriculture sector with the exchange of an MOU between Malaysia and China through the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements between China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) and Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) for the export of fresh coconuts from Malaysia to China,” he said in a statement today.
Mohamad added that the signing of the Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Coconuts from Malaysia to China between MAFS and the GACC is key to ensuring the marketability and competitiveness of Malaysian coconuts in China.
“It will also strengthen the local coconut industry by encouraging good and systematic agricultural practices among local growers, while demonstrating the government’s commitment to enhancing food security and increasing the nation’s agricultural export earnings,” he said.
The government will continue working to ensure local agricultural produce secures a place in international markets, thereby enabling the people to generate higher incomes and contributing to national economic growth.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Xi witnessed the exchange of 31 MOUs and documents covering various sectors of cooperation between the two countries.
Among the highlights was an MOU on news and information between the Malaysian government and China’s Xinhua News Agency.
Xi’s visit, which began on Tuesday (April 15), was at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia.
— Bernama
