KUALA KANGSAR, 28 December- The hybrid durian MDUR88 is now rebranded as MARDI Super 88 (MS88) by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) in Kuala Kangsar after a 15-year research period.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said that the move was a strategic effort to introduce Malaysia's premium durian on the international stage.

"Durian has become a big trade that is estimated to reach billions of ringgit in value, especially in the international market. The demand is very high, especially in China and other countries.

"Therefore, MARDI continues to be the main researcher in producing new varieties to improve the quality of durian," he said when visiting the Taman Agro Duriotourism, MARDI Kuala Kangsar here today.

So far, a total of 8,000 MS88 durian trees have been planted throughout the country to meet the demand of the export market, especially to China.

Mohamad added that attention was also given to the production of durian-based downstream products that have high potential in the West Asian market.

Since 2021, MARDI has provided MS88 seeds for free to interested farmers, apart from offering guidance and encouragement to grow durian crops.