2,000 Musang King durians sell out in 12 hours at just $6/kg in Malaysia

"From 10am to 10pm yesterday alone (last Friday), we managed to sell almost three tonnes of durian," Durian trader Mohd Hairul Mohd Aziz, 43, from Batu Pahat, told Bernama.

Trader Mohd Hairul Mohd Aziz said that the fruits, which were of the premium variety Musang King, were sold at an affordable price range, starting from MYR25 (US$6) per kilogram at most, compared to the market price of MYR40.

The price tag played a key role in speeding up the sale, he added.

Malaysia’s Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, also Friday, launched the "Eat Local Fruits" campaign to boost consumption of domestic agriculture produce.

Its minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu hailed the campaign as a well-timed effort to highlight Malaysia’s agricultural products.

"Malaysian durians are among the best in the world. If events like this are organised more often, locals can enjoy premium durians that are usually exported."

Malaysia’s has over 200 registered varieties of durians. Musang King has long dominated the market as the country’s prized export and is well-protected as a Malaysian intellectual property.

The country exported over 27,000 tonnes of durian in 2023, generating $44.49 million in export revenue, figures from global trade data provider TradeImeX shows.

Its export volume surged last year after it secured an agreement with Beijing to allow the export of fresh durians to China, which had previously been limited to frozen ones.