Browse Data and Analysis

Malaysia's food processing sector continues to be an attractive destination for U.S. food ingredients. Food and beverage manufacturing remain priority areas of economic growth for Malaysia and have boasted solid performance in the past several years.

After strong growth in 2023, the food retail sector is expected to see moderate but positive growth in the remainder of 2024. Expansion of convenience stores and small format retail outlets continues, while premium supermarkets have also expanded.

In 2023 Bulgarian dairy farming stabilized with a growth in milk deliveries. This was due to improved milk yields despite continued decline in the dairy cow herd, and due to record high fluid milk imports.

The Malaysian food and beverage manufacturing industry is a significant sector in Malaysia’s economic expansion for both the domestic and export market. This sector includes several multinational corporation facilities as well as a range of local company operations.

Malaysia was the 26th-largest export destination for U.S. agricultural products in 2022, totaling nearly $1.1 billion in value, and is a top prospect for exports of food and beverage ingredients because of its large and growing food processing industry.

Malaysia’s retail sales are projected to grow to US$1.8 billion in 2023. The Malaysian food and beverage retail market is a competitive landscape and is highly fragmented.

The Malaysian food manufacturing and processing industry is an important component of the country’s economic growth and has seen significant development and innovation for shelf stable products as consumer demands increase.

The Malaysian food manufacturing and processing industry is an important component of the country’s economic growth and has seen significant development and innovation for shelf stable products as consumer demands increase. This sector includes several multinational corporation facilities as well as a range of local company operations.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bulgaria was a growing market for food and beverages, with rising consumer confidence, declining unemployment, increasing incomes, and a stable number of foreign tourists driving expansion.

The Bulgarian dairy industry faced significant challenges in Marketing Year (MY) 2021 with the national dairy herd, cow milk production and collection, as well as processing contracting. A dry and hot summer, combined with increasing feed grain prices, inflation pressure (especially of energy supply), and a labor deficit led to a decline in the number of dairy farms and stocks. Consolidation and restructuring of the industry continued through the dominating role of larger, more efficient dairy operations.

Malaysia was the 25th largest export destination for U.S. agricultural products in 2021 and is a top prospect for exports of food and beverage ingredients because of its large and growing food processing industry. Food and beverages manufactured in Malaysia not only serve domestic consumers but are also exported to many neighboring countries. U.S. exporters of dairy products, fresh and processed potatoes, food-grade soy, processed fruit and juices, tree nuts and more have many opportunities to supply Malaysian industry which depends on imports for key ingredients and inputs, and in doing so will reach consumers across Malaysia and throughout Southeast Asia.

According to the Department of Statistics, Malaysia’s food and beverage sales contributed 11.8 percent ($1.7 billion) to total wholesale sales value of $14 billion for January-April 2022, with a growth of 11.5 percent over the same period last year. The country’s food retailers continue to rapidly develop, and premium grocery stores and convenience outlets are increasingly popular.