DURIAN lovers are rejoicing at the apparent drop in price of the King of Fruits.
In view of apparent oversupply, even premium varieties such as Musang King are experiencing a dip in prices.
If social media to be believed, bargains are to be had with 10-12 fruits costing just RM100. Previously, it was not uncommon for a single – albeit large – fruit to command such a premium price.
This fluctuation in price for this most lusted of local fruits was noted on Facebook by Fat Deadpool who opined that this was due to demand and supply.
“There is some truth in the saying that durian prices have changed now. Musang King used to be sold at a high price, to the point that some people thought the price was unreasonable,” observed the self-proclaimed marketing consultant in a Facebook post.
“But when there is a lot of supply, the season is long and demand is not as strong as before, the price will indeed go down – such is the law of the market.”
Added the poster wryly: “Traders who used to keep prices high have to follow the market trend, otherwise the stock won’t move.
“Prices go up when people compete but the opposite happens when the market is saturated. Consumers are the winners today; traders simply have to come up with new strategies. The market is always changing. Today it’s cheap, tomorrow it’s uncertain.”
The post has already generated 3,5K likes, 1.2K comments and 334 shares at the time of writing which isn’t really a surprise given it is about a fruit that is loved passionately by locals.
But will this enduring love of the durian be passed on to future generations given prices can be a touch ridiculous?
One commenter surmised (with the help of ChatGPT) that when prices get too high, cost-conscious parents will avoid buying durians.
The upshot is young children who are not exposed to the charms of the King of Fruit are unlikely to develop a taste for it. In the long term, durians will lose its premium tag and be just like any other fruit.
Some commenters concurred with the observation as it was noted more youngsters these days seem to avoid durians, unlike previous generations where absolutely nobody would say ‘no’ to the thorny delights. The long-term consequence is a shrinking market for this veritable local delight.
It was also pointed out that the older generation of “hardcore durian lovers” aged between 30 and 40 of age have to curtail their consumption due to the risk of diabetes.
Meanwhile, those in the 10-20 age group have less affinity for durians with some even throwing up upon their nostrils coming into close proximity of the fruit.
One commenter argued that local durian farmers were sacrificing the future of the industry for the sake of short-term gain by their exorbitant pricing.
If the focal point for local producers is the lucrative export market, then this may very well be the future – future generation Malaysians who can’t bear the pungent smell of durians. A dystopian future indeed.
- Focus Malaysia
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