Price of Musang King falls

Up for grabs: Lim said the price of Musang King has gone down by 20% since Chinese New Year.

GEORGE TOWN: Good news for durian lovers as the price of Musang King has plunged by between 20% and 50% due to Covid-19 and oversupply in the market.

Ironically, a high yield is expected in the mid-year durian season because of favourable weather conditions.

According to a durian trader here, Tan Chee Keat, 1kg of Musang King is now priced between RM24 and RM33 instead of RM55.

“We are facing a challenging time because of the (Covid-19) outbreak.

“Our export order has dropped by 70% after Chinese New Year,” he said, adding that China has been his biggest export market.

Tan lamented the decision by many to put their trips on hold during the health scare, causing traders to experience a slowdown in business.

“People dare not travel for fear of getting infected. It’s a shame because the durian supply in Penang will definitely be more than enough due to the long hot weather.

“Our durian flowers are blooming like crazy but still, we need to be cautious as the rainy season in March will affect the quantity and quality,” he said yesterday.

Durian Central business partner, who wished to be known as Lim, said his stall in Macalister Road here had seen a drop of 50% in visitors since the Covid-19 epidemic.

“Our customers are usually from China, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong, and some of them are cruise passengers.

“However, the virus has stopped many tourists from travelling and our business has been slow lately,” he said.

Lim said the locals seldom eat durian during the off-season, and they will usually bring their friends from overseas to sample the king of fruits here.

“Penangites only come in May, June and July – the durian season here,” he said.

He added that the price of Musang King has gone down by 20% since Chinese New Year.Durian seller L.Y. Ang said the coronavirus disease 2019 has impacted the whole market including durian business.

“As the durians are flowering now, estate owners are expecting a high yield this year,” he said.

He added that the durians on Penang island are mainly sold to locals and tourists only.

“We do not export durians to China but many traders from other states in Malaysia do. Business will surely be affected if their durians cannot be exported,” he said.

Ang hoped the Chinese tourists would continue to come and enjoy durians here.

“However, it is hard to predict whether the price of durians in Penang will drop further as it depends on market demand and supply,” he said.