This year, durians are in abundance in Singapore. A surplus in major producer Malaysia has pushed prices in the city-state down to levels never seen before. Even with demand staying high, premium varieties like Musang King were selling for as cheap as S$3 ($2.24) a kilogram earlier this month.
“This is the lowest price I’ve ever seen,” said Sam Tan, executive director of MAPC Sdn. Bhd., a major durian supplier. “Typically, a Musang King will go at S$12 to S$13 per kilogram,” said Tan, who’s also president of the Malaysia Durian Exporters Association and has been in the industry for 12 years.
Farmers in Malaysia, which supplies more than 85 percent of Singapore’s durians, have been diversifying into the fruit since 2016 as prices jumped, instead of growing traditional crops like palm oil and rubber. Durian trees take at least five to seven years to start producing, contributing to the bountiful harvest this year.
[ $1 = €0.68 ]
