KUALA LUMPUR • Durian sellers in Malaysia are slashing prices for the king of fruits to as low as RM1 (34 Singapore cents) each amid a supply glut in the country.

With the harvesting season moving past its peak, durian sellers are turning to low prices to encourage buyers to snap them up before the fruits go bad.

A photo of a basket of durians going for just RM1 each made the rounds on Facebook last Friday.

The stall in Sungai Kob near the district of Kulim in the northern state of Kedah was reportedly offering its small kampung durians on the cheap while fresher durians were being sold at between RM3 and RM8 each.

"This is not the first time we are selling cheap durians, but this year's durians are cheaper so we can sell them at RM1 each. And although the RM1 durian sale starts only at 3pm, people begin queueing from morning," said seller Aizawati Abdul Latib, 34.

Northern Malaysia is seeing its longest durian season in recent memory. The oversupply has been attributed to the hot weather, which makes durians ripen faster.

Makeshift durian stalls began mushrooming in late February amid expectations the season was expected to end in May. But another round of durians began falling in late June, removing any perceptible break in the season.

In March, sellers slashed the price of the Musang King variety from RM125 per kg last year to between RM50 and RM65 per kg. The Black Thorn Grade A durians were sold at RM75 per kg, compared with RM100 last year. Some "vintage" varieties, however, saw only a minor drop in prices.

Over in Penang, a durian seller at Chai Leng Park in the town of Butterworth was spotted selling the Musang King at RM28 per kg, The Star reported yesterday. The stall owner said the durians were going for a low price as it was now receiving its stock twice a day and was desperate to sell them quickly.

THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK, BERNAMA

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