The current oversupply of durian in Malaysia is linked to export-grade cloned varieties failing to meet international quality standards, rather than weak demand for local village durian, according to the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority.
Fama deputy director general Faisal Iswardi Ismail said the situation is mainly related to cloned durian varieties, including Musang King, harvested from orchards that are less than ten years old. Fruit from younger trees tends to deliver lower quality and does not meet export specifications required by key markets such as China and Singapore.
"The drop in prices of cloned durian varieties, to RM15 to RM20 per kg (approximately US$3.20 to US$4.30 per kg), has affected village durian prices," he said after launching an Agro Madani seasonal fruit and durian sales promotion.
He explained that Fama has stepped in to stabilise the market for village durian by purchasing volumes affected by falling prices. These durians are being processed into paste and pulp at dedicated facilities located in Besut, Jerantut, Sungai Petani, and Machang.
To support distribution, Fama has activated its network of 285 marketing outlets nationwide. These include farmers' markets, permanent farmers' markets, fresh fruit stalls, and trading centres, which are being used to absorb additional supply and facilitate direct sales.
As part of the intervention, Agro Madani sales events have been expanded. During a two-day event, more than 30 tonnes of durian and seasonal fruits were offered for direct sale, mainly sourced from Jerantut in Pahang and Jelebu in Negeri Sembilan. Sales on the first day exceeded RM100,000, equivalent to about US$21,300, leading organisers to extend the event by an additional day. The revised two-day sales target is RM200,000, or roughly US$42,600.
According to Faisal Iswardi, further durian sales initiatives are planned. A second round of durian sales will be held at the same location, while additional Agrobazaar events are scheduled in Kedah on January 16 and in Bandar Baru Selayang on January 22.
Fama stressed that the current situation should be viewed as a quality and orchard maturity issue within the cloned durian segment, rather than a demand-driven downturn. Local village durian continues to find buyers, although price pressure has increased due to spillover effects from the cloned durian market.
The authority said ongoing processing, expanded domestic marketing channels, and targeted sales events remain central to managing seasonal durian supply while export-oriented orchards continue to adjust production and quality management practices.
Source: FMT
