Durian deluge: Traders offer rock bottom prices, much to the delight of customers. — Bernama
KUCHING: The unmistakable smell of durians from rows of trucks laden with the thorny greenish-yellow fruit signals the arrival of the long-awaited season for lovers of the “King of Fruits” in Sarawak, boosted by an abundant supply of local durians now flooding the market.
The surplus, particularly of the “kampung” variety from the south of the state, inspired trader Akmal Hakim Saidan, 29, and his siblings to offer rock-bottom prices – as low as RM1 per fruit to draw crowds to their shop.
Akmal, who runs a fruit and fresh fish business at Nasuha Enterprise, said the durian season in Sarawak typically runs from August to February, with supplies sourced from Sematan, Serian and Sarikei.
“The peak period is from now until February. At the moment, we receive about six to 10 truckloads a day, that’s about 12,000 kampung durians daily,” he said.
He said each durian is graded upon arrival, with cracked fruits set aside for making tempoyak (fermented durian paste), while good quality ones are sold through auctions or bundled in time-based “happy hour” deals, such as a full bag for RM25 or RM1 per fruit.
Akmal said that by posting on free platforms such as Facebook, the heavily discounted sales remain profitable due to high volume.
To meet strong demand, the shop operates daily from 8am to midnight throughout the season, with weekends and after-work hours drawing the largest crowds.
“Besides durians, we also sell other tropical fruits such as rambutan, langsat and dabai, which are also offered at special time-based prices. Dabai, for instance, can go for as low as RM8 per kg during happy hour,” he added.
Happy indeed: Sisters Atikah and Kamariah posing for a picture as they select their fruits. — Bernama
A Bernama survey found customers and tourists alike taking advantage of the bargain prices.
Sisters Atikah Morni, 26, and Kamariah Morni, 21, said they were drawn to the shop after seeing the promotions on social media.
“Every durian season, we come here because the prices are very low and reasonable. This time, we chose durians priced at RM3 and RM8,” Atikah said.
Meanwhile, Charles Chua, 44, said he and his future in-laws from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, also enjoyed the abundance of Sarawak’s durian season.
“I bought three for RM24. It’s cheap and truly worth it.
“Sarawak durians are really good, so I’m happy to support local produce,” said the Sibu native.
