Malaysia's Belgian fries imports on the rise

Malaysia has become the second largest importer of Belgian potato products in Southeast Asia as its imports of frozen potatoes nearly doubled in a span of a decade.

According to Flanders Agricultural Marketing Board¹ (VLAM) and Belgian potato association Belgapom, Malaysia imported 12,779 tons of Belgian potato products in 2009. In 2018, the number grew to 24,724 tons of potatoes in the 10-year period.

In 2019, Malaysia is on track to break a new record, with Belgian potato suppliers exporting almost 14,000 tons of potatoes in the first six months of 2019.

The ASEAN region has become a large target market for Belgian potatoes over the last decade, with Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines proving to be growing markets for Belgian potato products.

The Philippines takes the number one spot as the top importer for Belgian potato products, with 30,468 tons shipped to the archipelago in 2018. This was followed by Malaysia’s 24,724 tons, then Indonesia’s 15,548 tons, Thailand’s 8,262 tons and Vietnam’s 2,815 tons.

Belgium a potato world leader

The term “French fries” came about during World War One, when American soldiers fighting in Belgium were introduced to fries. At that time, the official language of the Belgian army was French, and the Americans nicknamed the delicious fried potatoes as “French fries”.

Belgium is the world’s number one export country of frozen potato products, with 4.5 million tons of potatoes processed into various products each year.

The five largest Belgium suppliers are Agristo, Bart’s Potato Company, Clarebout Potatoes, Ecofrost and Mydibel. These family-owned businesses ship halal-certified potato products all over the world.

By using the newest technology, the Belgian potato processing sector is able to meet the strictest quality and food safety standards and offer a high-quality product with a rich taste, nice texture and a crispy coating.

Whether you enjoy them on their own, or as a side dish, fries are clearly a dish adored by many Malaysians.

Potato lovers can sample Belgian fries for themselves at the SIAL Interfood 2019 exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia from 13 to 16 November, 2019. Visitors will be able to taste Belgian fries from numerous supplies at booth number BE 009.

---

¹VLAM (Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing Board) is a non-profit organization promoting the sale, the added value, the consumption and the image of products and services of the Flemish agriculture, horticulture, fishery and agro-alimentary sector in Belgium and abroad.

²Belgapom is the recognized association for the Belgian potato trade and processing industry. Its task is to defend the interest of the Belgian seed and consumption potato merchants, the pre-packers, the exporters, the potato peeling industry and the potato processing industry