SINGAPORE: Durian fans in Singapore are snapping up the thorny fruit in droves after a bumper harvest of the coveted Musang King variety in Malaysia dragged prices down to record lows.
Durian vendors The Straits Times spoke to said they have slashed prices of the premium durian variant, also known as Mao Shan Wang, which is prized for its combination of bitter and sweet flavours.
Musang King sales have been going up over the past month, they added.
Durian Empire owner Zen Ho has been selling Musang King durians for between S$8 (US$6.23) and S$18 per kilogram since November, down from the average of S$15 to S$24 per kilogram.
“This is the lowest price since 2018,” he said.
He added that the drop in Musang King durian prices has had a knock-on effect on the prices of other durian varieties.
With the low prices, sales are up by about 20 per cent for this time of the year, compared with previous years, said Ho.
One downside is the bumper harvest in Malaysia means there are more durians coming to the store than he can sell.
To boost sales, Durian Empire, located in Punggol Plaza, has turned to promotions, such as selling five boxes of durians for S$108. In June, it sold one box of durians for about S$40.
Prices for Musang King durians have plunged in Malaysia amid what industry insiders say is a “durian tsunami”, with sellers up north offering promotions that have drawn huge crowds.
Derrick Ooi, who owns 211 House of Durian in Lorong 8 Toa Payoh, said the surge in durian supplies started three weeks ago. “This is the first time in 10 years we’re experiencing it,” he said.
Like Ho, Ooi said low prices have led to a 30 per cent to 40 per cent spike in business compared with previous months.
Arthur Gan, the owner of Fresh Durian which largely operates online, said sales have gone up since November. He now gets over a hundred orders a day – for various durian types, including Musang King – when he used to get 60 to 70 a day.
Since October, Gan has been selling Musang King durians for S$35 per 800g, down from the S$60 to S$70 range in June and July.
However, durian sellers do not expect prices to stay the same after early January because supply tends to ease towards the end of the durian season, around January and February.
Ooi said: “There will still be durians until Chinese New Year but the price will vary.” - The Straits Times/ANN
