‘The quality of durian this year is not ideal’— Durian season began late this year, retailers pointed out that there was shortage of stock

SINGAPORE: The durian season has been blossoming a little late this year due to the weather conditions. Now that it has started, many durian stalls are offering promotions to boost their sales, especially the Musang King durian. 

A reporter from Lianhe Zaobao interviewed some of the local durian vendors. It was reported that the prices of Musang King durian now range from $12 to $38 per kilogram. A 60-year-old vendor also shared that usually, most of the durian come in June from Johor, and July onwards from Pahang, but it was delayed this year. 

“This year’s durian season was delayed and could not be continued, probably due to the weather. However, durians have increased in recent weeks, and this supply is expected to continue until around December,” the vendor admitted. He also revealed that some of the durian, of poorer quality, only sell for $8 to $10. 

Another durian business also shared that the durians from Pahang are expected to last until the end of the peak season, so a special promotion is given to its customers. One more durian stall revealed that last month, durians were of poor quality, and they had only started selling the fruit this week. 

A 48-year-old vendor also expressed that their Musang King is of better quality than the others, so they sell it for $20 to $25 per kilogram. 

“The quality of durian this year is not ideal. The weather is too hot, and it is easy to have unripe durian or burnt durian. So we would rather run out of stock to ensure that customers can eat the best,” the seller admitted. 

Some businesses pointed out that there was a shortage of stock between August and September this year, and during this time, only four or five durians were imported daily. Furthermore, the Musang King durians were sold for over $50 per kilogram. 

“We had no choice but to buy. We had already agreed with the supplier; we would buy no matter the price,” a seller admitted. 

What are the benefits of eating durian?

Durian is a tropical fruit that is quite big in size and has a tough, spiky outer shell. It has a strong smell, but it has a soft, creamy flesh with big seeds. 

According to studies, durian is very high in nutrients compared to other fruits. Some of the benefits of eating this fruit are: 

• Durian reduces cancer risks. 
• Durian prevents heart disease 
• Durian fights infection 
• Durian lowers blood sugar