Shandong products are on display at the Agricultural Trade (Malaysia) Expo 2026 in Kuala Lumpur. [Photo/Haibao News]

Shandong foods swept through Malaysia this September, as 16 cities from this coastal province in East China brought their premium agricultural products to the Agricultural Trade (Malaysia) Expo 2026 in Kuala Lumpur.

The event, held on Sept 14, marked the first time the "Qilu farm supermarket" platform entered ASEAN. More than 50 specialty products from 13 Shandong enterprises were showcased, ranging from donkey-hide gelatin and edible fungi to poultry, seafood, and nuts.

The timing is strategic. Malaysia, which has limited arable land, relies heavily on imports for vegetables, fruits and processed foods. Shandong's strength in temperate produce, seafood and grain processing make it an ideal partner. In the first quarter of 2026, Shandong's agricultural trade with ASEAN reached 11.11 billion yuan ($1.65 billion), up 13.3 percent year-on-year.

Among the highlights: Hami melons from Jinan's Zhangqiu district can reach shelves in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur within 72 hours, while organic blueberries from Weihai have become a hot item in Malaysian supermarkets. Heze has even established its first overseas peony culture center at the Zheng He Cultural Museum in Malacca, blending cultural promotion with product exports.

The "Qilu farm supermarket" platform allows smaller enterprises to leverage established quality control and channel networks, moving from simply attending exhibitions to actually supplying global markets.