Malaysia is experiencing a bumper durian harvest, with prices for all varieties dropping across the board. In Singapore, Musang King is even being offered at the rare low price of just 8 SGD per kilogram (about 25.6 MYR). However, the harvest season coincides with the June school holidays, and with many consumers traveling abroad, durian sales have not increased as much as expected. Some vendors admit concerns that, with so many durians coming onto the market at once, the season may end early, potentially leading to supply shortages and price hikes later on.
With simultaneous bumper crops in Malaysia’s Pahang, Johor, Penang, Kedah, and Perak states, a huge market supply has driven prices down for every variety. Some lower-grade Musang Kings have even hit a historic low of around 9 MYR per kilogram.
● 'Durian Tsunami' Leads to Broad Price Drop
According to Lianhe Zaobao, "Lee Sheng Durian King" on the upper part of Serangoon Road in Singapore recently rolled out a promotion for Musang King at 8 SGD per kilogram, drawing quite a few customers. Owner Soh Mei Feng (53) said in an interview that the market is at the peak of the durian season, with supply surging and prices sharply dropping.
'Right now it's what's called a "durian tsunami"—there's too much supply, so prices naturally go down. In the past, with less Musang King available, we could sell it for up to 28 SGD (about 90 MYR) per kilogram; now it's only 8 SGD.'
Besides Musang King, other popular varieties like Red Prawn and Golden Phoenix are also abundant and their prices have generally dropped. Soh Mei Feng said that her younger brother, who has worked in the durian industry for over 30 years, also believes this is an unusually low price season: 'You could say this is the cheapest in many years, because the supply is truly enormous.'
Soh Mei Feng pointed out that the durian business has always 'depended on the weather,' with price trends being strongly influenced by weather and yield. Now that durians are ripening en masse, people in the industry worry that the season may end early.
● Sales Not Increasing as Expected
Moreover, despite the price plunge, business hasn’t increased as expected. Soh Mei Feng said that as it’s school holidays, many families are traveling abroad, leading to decreased market demand. As a result, shops can only lower prices to attract customers.
'Actually, sales haven’t gone up by much. Many people are overseas right now, and there are lots of durians, so we can only try to sell them cheaper, as a kind of customer appreciation.'
When a Lianhe Zaobao reporter visited Lee Sheng Durian King at noon on the 19th, although there were huge posters advertising cheap durians out front, only a handful of customers showed up over the course of nearly an hour.
A nearby resident surnamed Luo (24, university student) saw news online about the durian bumper crop, so he dropped by a local shop to buy some. In his interview, he said he’s an avid fan of Musang King, and it’s his first time in years seeing it so cheap. However, he also admitted that since he has a limited appetite, he wouldn’t buy more just because prices are low.