Agriculture and food security minister Mohamad Sabu said the renewal maintains Malaysia’s ownership of the Musang King durian brand.

“It will be difficult for another country to use (the brand) for another 10 years,” he said here today.

The Musang King durian was first registered as intellectual property under geographical indication on March 13, 2014.

Mohamad said the durian is more than just a fruit cultivated for family members to enjoy, as its position as the “king of fruits” promises lucrative returns for Malaysia, which now exports fresh fruit to China.

“We sent about 40 tonnes of various types of fresh durian to China recently.

“I am sure that in the next durian season, we will produce thousands of tonnes more to be exported to China,” he said.

Mohamad said although the price of one Musang King durian sold in China is around RM350, it remains in high demand among the Chinese people.

He said Pahang is currently the largest producer of Musang King durian, followed by Perak.

Malaysia began exporting fresh durian to China on Aug 24, two months after a deal was signed by Mohamad with China’s general administration of customs minister Yu Jianhua in Putrajaya.