Global Courant 2023-05-06 05:47:00
GEORGE TOWN – The durian season has started and fans of the King of Fruits can expect a bountiful harvest this year with lower prices than before, according to a Malaysian seller.
Despite losing more than RM1 million (S$299,000) after his 90-hectare farm in Balik Pulau was recently hit by a storm, durian seller Tan Chee Keat remains confident that it would be a good year for sellers like him.
“Actually, I did not expect the storm to occur during an extremely hot period.
“This is rare. But we managed to successfully carry out the pest control, which resulted in better quantity and quality of durians this year. The durian season will last a long time. Some orchards may have fruit until the end of October,” he said.
Mr Tan said the price has risen significantly in recent years due to smaller harvests.
“Because it will be a good harvest this year, we can lower prices.”
Durians like the popular Musang King, he said, could fetch between RM20 and RM30 per kg compared to RM40 per kg before.
“We estimate that prices for most fruit will fall by 5 to 10 percent.
“The season is now starting with the durians ripening and ready to be distributed to traders early next week.
“It peaks in June and July.”
Tan said his farm was the only one affected by the storm that destroyed about 2,000 durian trees in Balik Pulau.
At the popular Bao Sheng Durian farm, owner Chang Zhi Vooi said this year would be good for them as they expected supply to be evenly distributed over the coming months.
“This means we won’t be too busy compared to when the season was shorter and we had to work around the clock.
“The yield is expected to be the same, but stretched over time because the trees are the same,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
