Malaysia’s durian glut triggers ‘happy hour’ frenzy in Sarawak: ‘it’s cheap and worth it’

The unmistakable smell of durians from rows of trucks laden with the thorny greenish-yellow fruit signals the arrival of the long-awaited season for lovers of the “king of fruits” in Sarawak, Malaysia, boosted by an abundant supply of local durians now flooding the market.

The surplus, particularly of the “kampung” variety from the south of the state, inspired trader Akmal Hakim Saidan, 29, and his siblings to offer rock-bottom prices – as low as 1 ringgit (0.25 US cents) per fruit to draw crowds to their shop.

Akmal, who runs a fruit and fresh fish business at Nasuha Enterprise, said the durian season in Sarawak typically runs from August to February, with supplies sourced from Sematan, Serian and Sarikei.

“The peak period is from now until February. At the moment, we receive about six to 10 truckloads a day, that’s about 12,000 kampung durians daily,” he said.

He said each durian is graded upon arrival, with cracked fruits set aside for making tempoyak (fermented durian paste), while good quality ones are sold through auctions or bundled in time-based “happy hour” deals, such as a full bag for 25 ringgit or 1 ringgit per fruit.

Akmal said that by posting on social media platforms, the heavily discounted sales remain profitable due to high volume.

  

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