(B.S.B., 29th) Every year, the arrival of durian season keeps lovers of the "King of Fruits" eagerly anticipating—not only for its unique taste, but also for the generous income it brings to small local vendors and foreign durian importers.
During this season, durian stalls pop up everywhere along the roadsides, night markets, and villages like mushrooms after the rain, creating a bustling scene. A wide variety of local durians are on display, including village durians, red durians, and yellow durians. Additionally, premium varieties such as Musang King, Black Thorn, and Monthong durians are available.
Most durian prices are reasonable, attracting people to sample these local specialties as well as durians imported from neighboring countries such as Thailand and Malaysia. The market response has been enthusiastic, especially during school holidays, when people flock with family and friends to purchase durians.
For vendors, durian season is an excellent opportunity to boost household income. Besides selling fresh durians, some vendors also enrich their sales channels by offering durian sticky rice, durian porridge, durian ice-cream, as well as various cakes and desserts made from durians, to cater to customers’ increasingly diverse tastes. This innovation not only enhances the commercial value of durians but also helps increase sales throughout the season.
One local vendor stated that the income from this season's durian sales is enough to cover daily household expenses and helps pay for their children's tuition, especially purchases of exercise books and school supplies. "Thank God, the durian season truly provides a livelihood. Although durian is seasonal, its harvest is very important for our family."
In addition to small vendors, durian orchard owners are also enjoying the fruits of their years of hard work. Some farmers choose to sell durians directly from their orchards to buyers, while others open their orchards to the public, allowing tourists to experience picking and tasting fresh durians. This not only attracts tourists but also elevates the reputation of local durian as a high-value agricultural product.
The durian season brings not only a positive economic impact to small vendors and orchard owners but also strengthens social ties within the community. Joint operations, durian sharing, orchard visits, and other activities energize village life and foster a spirit of cooperation and mutual assistance.
As a seasonal fruit, durian symbolizes the gifts of nature. It not only satisfies the taste buds of durian lovers but also promotes the economic prosperity and harmonious development of local communities.