PUBLISHED ONSeptember 27, 2026 2:55 AMUPDATEDSeptember 29, 2026 6:24 AMBYEsther LamFollowing a supply glut earlier this year, Malaysia's durian harvest is now expected to decline due to dry weather and severe haze.
Farmers told Sin Chew Daily while they had faced haze problems in previous years, the impact was less severe as there was still some rainfall. This year, however, has seen worsening haze conditions and prolonged periods of dry, hot weather.
In addition to affecting durian crops, the prolonged dry spell and haze have also affected banana and rubber plantations, with durian harvests being delayed and reduced, reported the Malaysia news outlet.
While short periods of dry weather can benefit durian production by triggering flower initiation, prolonged drought and extreme heat can have the opposite effect, placing trees under stress and potentially reducing flowering, fruit development and overall yields.
Beyond crop losses, farmers have reportedly been experiencing itchy eyes and sore throats due to the haze, as well as being more susceptible to illnesses.
Durian orchard owner Chen Fuming (transliterated) told Sin Chew Daily that this year's severe drought and haze, coupled with a high pollution index, had slowed down the flowering stage of the durian trees.
He added that the trees in his orchard were expected to flower in August and, despite having formed buds, they had failed to bloom. The flowering process appears to have paused and left the trees in a state akin to "hibernation", according to Chen.
He said that the durians originally scheduled to be available at the end of January are now expected to be delayed until end-February or early March.
He added that the number of flowering durian trees are reportedly 60 per cent less than that of June and July.
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