Durians for less than 20 cents? Malaysians bring sacks to snap up fruit

Durian prices in Malaysia have plunged to as low as 50 sen (S$0.16) per fruit following an overwhelming supply glut, sparking a rush among buyers eager to snap up the bargain. 

Videos circulating online show large crowds and long queues forming at durian stalls in Bangi, Selangor, as people rush to grab a share of the produce. 

A Facebook video posted by user Durian Seladang on Sunday (June 21) shared a promotion selling one piece for 50 sen and 10kg for RM50. 

Another video posted on Threads by user mdlp_sd on Saturday show a large crowd gathered at what appeared to be a market. Many can be seen grabbing pink plastic bags before filling them with durians. 

The user, who had stopped by to buy "Tok Wan" durians at RM5 each, captioned: "At first, there seemed to be a lot of people queuing up but when the durians arrived, it turned into a scramble. 

"The long queue just disappeared, everyone wanted to get to them first."

A significant increase in durian production has resulted in oversupply and plummeting prices, reported Malaysian publication Sin Chew Daily. 

Musang King is priced at RM9 per kg, while other varieties such as IOI (D168) and Red Prawn (D175) have fallen to as low as RM2 per fruit. The cheapest ordinary durians are going for about 50 sen per fruit, reported Sin Chew Daily.

Despite the low prices, the quality has reportedly not been significantly affected. 

Many vendors have also reportedly launched generous promotions, allowing customers to choose their own durians before paying by piece. Some even offered customers large sacks to fill with durians for only RM100. 

As durians have a short shelf life, vendors admitted that the unsold fruits are prone to decay which will increase their losses. Hence, they hope to recover costs through low-price promotions, reported Sin Chew Daily. 

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esther.lam@asiaone.com