Fresh Apple Exports to Malaysia Continue Successfully from Moldova

According to EastFruit analysts, Moldova continues to diversify its apple exports given the instability of the Russian market. In particular, Southeast Asia is currently considered one of the priority directions for apple exports from Moldova.

Following Ukraine, which was the first country in the region to establish sustainable fresh apple exports to Singapore and Malaysia in 2017-2019, Moldova has also begun developing fruit exports to these countries. Specifically, in February and March 2025, Moldova resumed apple exports to Malaysia following successful deliveries of commercial shipments in the first half of 2024. Although export volumes decreased somewhat in 2025, the very fact of maintaining a presence in this market remains highly significant.

It is evident that apple shipments to Southeast Asian countries from Moldova and Ukraine prove profitable during the February to May period, when fresh apple supplies from China, Iran, and Turkey become depleted. During this period, apple prices in the domestic market rise to levels that allow for covering expensive logistics costs from European countries.

Read also: Moldova Loses Up to 50% of Its Raspberry Harvest in 2025

According to EastFruit, retail apple prices in Singapore in February-March ranged from $4 to $8 USD per kg. The mass market segment, where Moldovan apples are typically positioned, sold within the $4-5 USD per kg range. During the same period in Malaysia, retail prices for fresh apples ranged from $2.5 to $5 USD per kg, including no more than $3.0 USD per kg for mass market segment apples. Import prices for apples in both Singapore and Malaysia were comparable – within the range of $1.3-1.7 USD per kg in the mass market segment.

During this same period, export-quality apples in Moldova and Ukraine could be purchased at prices ranging from $0.6 to $0.8 USD per kg, which enabled profitable exports to Southeast Asian countries.