Kuala lumpur: The current oversupply of durian is due to export-grade clones failing to meet export standards, and not because of weak demand for local village durian, according to the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, FAMA deputy director-general (Food Security and Operations) Faisal Iswardi Ismail stated that the glut is also caused by cloned varieties like Musang King from orchards under 10 years old, which produce lower-quality fruit that does not meet export requirements for markets such as China and Singapore. He noted that the decline in clone durian prices to RM15-RM20 per kilogram has impacted village durian prices across the country.
To assist farmers, FAMA is purchasing village durians affected by the price drop and processing them into paste and pulp at specialised centres in Besut, Jerantut, Sungai Petani, and Machang. While FAMA operates 14 processing centres nationwide, the current emphasis is on these four main locations to handle the oversupply and process fruit unsuitable for fresh sale.
Faisal Iswardi also mentioned that FAMA operates 42 centres nationwide to facilitate direct purchases, especially of village durian, either for fresh sale or value-added processing. To further manage the excess supply, FAMA has leveraged its network of 285 marketing outlets nationwide, including farmers' markets, permanent farmers' markets, fresh fruit stalls, and trading centres.
The Agro MADANI sales programme is among the intervention measures aimed at stabilising the market, protecting producers' income, and ensuring consumers continue to have access to local durian at reasonable prices. The two-day Agro MADANI Seasonal Fruit and Durian Sales Programme, which began yesterday, featured more than 30 tonnes of durians and seasonal fruits for direct sale, particularly from Jerantut, Pahang and Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan. The sale generated over RM100,000 in revenue on the first day, leading to the programme's extension until tomorrow, with a total sales target of RM200,000.
Faisal Iswardi added that FAMA is planning a second round of durian sales at the same location, depending on supply availability. Additionally, the next Agrobazaar sales programmes are scheduled to be held in Kedah on Jan 16 and in Bandar Baru Selayang on Jan 22. FAMA also provides logistics to transport fruit from production areas directly to consumer centres and offers official marketing outlets to enable farmers to sell without intermediaries.