Japanese citrus growers court Malaysia’s halal market
Producers from Japan's Kochi Prefecture, pitching halal-certified products made from yuzu — a fragrant East Asian citrus — see room to grow in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (MNTV) – Japanese producers of yuzu, a fragrant, tart citrus fruit, are looking to expand in Malaysia’s halal market, the Malaysian state news agency Bernama reported.
Akihisa Ikeda, director of the Kochi Representative Office in Singapore, said the prefecture took part for the first time in the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS 2026) in Kuala Lumpur, under a Japan pavilion featuring halal-certified goods.
Two Kochi companies attended: Kochi Ice, which makes yuzu-based desserts, and the Umaji Village Agricultural Cooperative, which represents yuzu farmers.
Some products are already on sale in Malaysia, Ikeda said: halal-certified frozen desserts made with Kochi yuzu juice are served in Japanese restaurants, and yuzu drinks and jam are stocked in some retail outlets.
He said yuzu products, popular elsewhere in Southeast Asia, still had room to grow, and that Kochi was focused on expanding its distribution in Malaysia.
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