singapore durian price drop

Malaysian Durian Bumper Harvest Causes Price Plunge, Musang King in Singapore as Low as S$8/kg

SINGAPORE, June 24 – Malaysia is experiencing a rare bumper harvest of durians, leading to a broad decline in prices across all varieties and triggering the lowest prices seen in Singapore in recent years. Retail prices for Musang King have fallen from about S$28 per kilogram at the March peak to around S$20, with some outlets even offering promotional prices as low as S$8 per kilogram. The price drop, driven by a surge in supply, has been described by industry insiders as a “durian tsunami.”

Supply Surge Sparks “Durian Tsunami”

The direct cause of this price crash is the simultaneous mass ripening and dropping of durians across multiple Malaysian states. Producing regions including Pahang, Johor, Penang, Kedah, and Perak all entered their peak season at the same time, significantly boosting market supply and dragging down prices across the board. Malaysian media reported that some lower-grade Musang King had even fallen to as low as about RM9 per kilogram (approximately S$2.83), a historic low.

The vast majority of durians sold in Singapore are imported from Johor and Pahang in Malaysia. The annual durian season typically falls in June–July and again in December. This year, hot weather caused trees to bear fruit earlier and in greater quantities, further exacerbating the supply glut. Malaysian durian distributor Chang Jia Jing revealed that favourable weather during the flowering and pollination period, combined with new trees planted five or six years ago by many Malaysian growers now coming into production, further boosted yields. Based on current conditions, this year’s output is at least 30–50% higher than last year.

Musang King Hits Five-Year Low, Prices Fall Across the Board

Musang King, one of the most popular varieties among Singaporean consumers, has seen particularly significant price drops. “Li Sheng Durian King” along Upper Serangoon Road recently advertised Musang King at S$8 per kilogram, attracting a steady stream of customers. Operator Soo Mei Feng (53) said in an interview: “This is what we call a ‘durian tsunami’ – too much supply, so prices naturally fall. A Musang King like this could sell for S$28 a kilogram when supply was tight, but now it’s only S$8.” Her brother, who has been in the durian trade for over 30 years, agreed that this is one of the lowest-price seasons seen in many years.

Kelvin Tan, co-founder of 99 Old Trees, stated: “These are the cheapest prices in the past five years.” He expects Musang King prices to bottom out at around S$18 per kilogram, matching the level during the last supply glut on Malaysian durian farms in December 2025.

Besides Musang King, popular varieties such as Red Prawn and Golden Phoenix have also flooded the market recently, with prices generally falling. Red Prawn has dropped from about S$14 to S$12 per kilogram. On Pulau Ubin, islanders are selling kampung durians at S$6–8 per kilogram. Industry players expect that as supply increases further over the next one to two weeks, Musang King prices may drop further to S$6–7 per kilogram.

Price Gap Remains Large Between Singapore and Malaysia

Despite the significant price drop in Singapore, a notable gap still exists compared to prices in the Malaysian domestic market. According to Malaysian media reports, Musang King is currently selling for only about RM6 per kilogram (about S$1.80) in Malaysia, with varieties like Red Prawn even going for as low as RM2 per fruit.

Industry insiders point out that this price disparity is unlikely to disappear in the short term. Durian Garden founder Melvin Chua said: “Prices won’t go that low in Singapore. Malaysia is a producer country with abundant stock and can sell very cheaply, but our operating costs here are extremely high.” He has been running a durian stall for 13 years.

School Holidays Dampen Demand, Sales Not Surging as Expected

However, despite the price plunge, durian sales in the Singapore market have not increased as much as expected. With the June school holidays in full swing, many families are travelling abroad, reducing local demand. Soo Mei Feng admitted: “Actually, sales haven’t increased much. Many people are overseas, and there’s an oversupply of durians, so we can only try to sell cheaper as a way of giving back to customers.”

A reporter visiting Li Sheng Durian King observed that although a huge poster outside the shop advertised cheap durians, only a few customers came by over the course of nearly an hour. Some customers said that while prices were cheap, their limited appetite meant they did not significantly increase their purchase quantity.

Meanwhile, durians on Pulau Ubin have attracted visitors making a trip across the island. Wong Yue Heng (75), owner of Yifeng Grocery Store who has lived on the island for 50 years, said that whenever there is a good durian harvest, some islanders sell durians, but only in small quantities, mainly for the festive season. Member of public Madam Yao (62), who visited the island with friends, happened to see the grocery store selling durians and bought one. She said she was more interested in supporting the islanders’ business.

Growers Worry Season May End Early, Prices Could Rise Later

For consumers, low prices are a rare opportunity, but for merchants, it is not necessarily good news. Soo Mei Feng pointed out that the durian business has always been “dependent on the weather,” with price trends largely determined by weather and yield. Now that durians are ripening in large numbers at once, the industry is worried that the season may end prematurely.

She analysed that the unusually abundant supply in June this year might be due to the hot weather causing some durians that would normally ripen in July to fall early, so she is concerned that supply may decrease in the coming weeks and prices may climb again. “Our biggest worry now is how long this peak can last. If suddenly there’s no stock later and prices go back up, our promotions and orders that we’ve already taken will be affected.”

Industry insiders also noted that heavy rainfall can affect the ripeness and flavour of durians, and quality often has a greater impact on market prices than quantity. Royal Durian founder Jeremy Chew said: “If the durians are of poor quality, prices will be extremely low. It doesn’t matter how many durians there are this season.”