SINGAPORE: Sellers of the pungent fruit are anticipating an increase in demand as the durian season begins in Singapore, especially during the peak period, which they believe will begin in about a week or two. While most sales have been similar to past years, retailers told CNA that they are anticipating that decreased rates during the peak season will attract more clients.
Mr. Louis Lee, a partner of Louis Durian, claimed that sales had been “pretty okay” this season because durian prices are “still fairly high.” He ascribed the durian’s “excessive” price to Malaysian vendors looking to export the fruit to China, where demand for the fruit has soared in recent years. Currently, he sells roughly 1,500 kg of durians every day, but during peak season, he hopes to sell 2,500 kg. Musang King, or Mao Shan Wang, from Pahang is his most popular durian. He currently offers the Musang King for S$21 per kg, but anticipates a price drop to S$17 or S$18 in a week. Jeremy Chew, co-owner of Royal Durian, found sales to be roughly similar this year, though he expects them to rise this season as the brand gains more exposure through word-of-mouth.
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READ: What’s the best method to eat Mao Shan Wang durians now? Place an order online and have it delivered to your home. However, compared to last year, Durian 26 has witnessed a 20% increase in sales. “Perhaps because most people can’t go overseas, they just stay in Singapore,” said Alvin Teo, the shop’s owner. He discovered that the price and quality of durian had improved this year, perhaps attracting more buyers. The Musang King is presently selling for S$22 per kg at Durian 26, with smaller, grade B durians retailing for S$15 to S$18 per kg.
He stated that the Musang King’s pricing will “certainly” drop to S$18 to S$20 per kg, which will likely attract more buyers.
Phua Cheng Jing, managing director of Durian Wholesale Asia, said the wholesaler has observed similar demand this year as last year.
“Demand in Singapore has always been pretty high,” he remarked.
Durian Wholesale Asia presently sells roughly 3,000 kilograms of durians each day, with Mr Phua expecting this to increase to 4,500 kilograms in two weeks. They sell their durians for around S$17 to S$18 per kilogram to dealers. “I believe the momentum is still building this year. Because the durian craze hasn’t reached its peak yet,” he explained. DURIAN SUPPLYAccording to Mr Lee and Mr Chew, Malaysian suppliers prioritize sales to China, limiting supply. “Since China opened up to durian, there has always been a supply issue,” Mr Chew said, adding that the Musang King’s price has not fallen since then. “Whoever is selling to Singapore, they essentially have no opportunity to export to China.” However, he pointed out that Singapore’s market share was too little to have a substantial impact on durian prices. Other merchants said that the price of durian will drop during peak season, but he disagreed. He predicted that the price of durians would range between RM1 (S$0.32) and RM3 (S$0.97) per kg on a daily basis, with little impact on durian prices in Singapore. Others said that this year’s durian supply was better. Mr Teo told CNA that after a successful harvest, supply for Durian 26 grew by more than 20%, while Mr Phua stated that demand from China has decreased “a little bit” this year compared to 2020, implying that more durians are making their way to Singapore. Mr Phua also stated that Malaysia’s Movement Control Order, also known as the COVID-19 lockdown, had had no impact on his durian supply. COVID-19 shutdown in Malaysia to be extended: PM Muhyiddin Tay Yinghui, a durian aficionado, said she would wait at least another week before taking the leap since she is “price sensitive.” “Consumers like me who want to save money would wait for better prices before buying,” she added, noting that pricing were better at the end of the durian season since vendors were seeking to clear their stock./n
