SELANGOR: A cross between cempedak and jackfruit – the unique flavour of the Nangchem fruit has driven Malaysians to pay a market premium of US$5 per kg.This year, it wants to export more premium fruits to China, its largest trading partner.It began exporting fresh jackfruit to China last year with an annual sale targeted to hit US$6 million.
With consumers willing to fork out higher prices for Nangchem, which can easily weigh up to 10kg, fruit vendors like Zakaria Musa said prices have shot up. Mr Raja said that durians come with high maintenance costs. It also takes a minimum of five years to harvest the popular Musang King variety. They are some of the most environmentally sustainable species that exist in the wild, and together, they form an important gene bank that can help combat climate change.