In Singapore, the prices for Mao Shan Wang durians are falling. There is a clear slump in customer numbers.
The Mao Shan Wang durians -also known as Musang King- usually go for more than SGD20 per kg (€12.83), but are now being sold for SGD16 to 20 per kg (€10.27-12.83), according to vendors.
Slow customer traffic is a large factor in this price drop. Ms Linda Ang, owner of Combat Durian: "Now is the school holiday period and people are going on holidays, so fewer people are buying."
The Ah Seng Durian company stated that this is a common occurrence annually, because the year-end period is not a time where people normally eat durians. A spokesman for the company said that besides the school holidays, other year-end activities affect the buying power of customers. For instance, they might be saving up instead for Christmas or new textbooks and uniforms for their children.
"Companies usually spend on dinner and dance events in December so they don't have the budget for durian parties, which they may hold in June or July instead," he added.
Singaporeans might also be waiting for a better deal. "Durians are a luxury, and not a necessity. People have a wait-and-see attitude. They are waiting for prices to drop further before they buy," the Ah Seng Durian spokesman told asiaone.com.
