Is Singapore’s Durian Glut Over? Sellers Say Prices Have Started Rising Again

What happened?

The recent flood of cheap durians was caused by what's known in agriculture as a bumper harvest — an unusually large harvest produced within a short period.

According to Kelvin Tan, owner of 99 Old Trees Durian, both Johor and Pahang experienced bumper harvests at almost exactly the same time this season.

"It was a wave," Kelvin tells 8days.sg. "Both the Pahang and Johor harvest happened at the same time."

Several consecutive days of hot weather caused huge numbers of durians to ripen and fall simultaneously, resulting in an unusually large amount of fruit reaching the market at once.

Unlike many fruits, however, durians are highly perishable.

"We're talking about really like 48 hours. These fruits cannot keep for too long," Kelvin explains.

That left sellers scrambling to clear stock before the fruit spoiled.

As supply briefly outpaced demand, many slashed prices and rolled out promotions.

Alvin says the bumper harvest only lasted a few days.

"Some shops were selling Mao Shan Wang for as low as $6 per kilogram. There were free durians too," he says.

Why prices are inching up

The bumper harvest, however, was always expected to be temporary.

Kelvin says Johor's harvest is now tapering off, leaving mainly Pahang durian plantations to supply the market.

"The harvest isn't as heavy anymore. Johor is receding already," he says.

Alvin says he first noticed supplies beginning to tighten as far back as Jul 2.

Although durians remain readily available, he expects prices to start climbing as supplies become less abundant.

Ah Seng Durian appears to be seeing similar conditions.

In a series of Instagram Stories posted on Jul 6, the popular durian seller told customers it was experiencing a "declining supply" while urging them not to "wait too long", adding that "supply is really dwindling" even as demand remained strong.

One post also noted that the stall's final batch of delivery orders for the day had just gone out, thanking customers for their patience "on the declining supply and arrangements as we bring the Kings, fresh from the orchards to your doors".

8days.sg reached out to Ah Seng Durian for comment on the current market situation, but the company declined to comment.

Current prices of Mao Shan Wang durians

At Durian 36, Mao Shan Wang, which retailed for around $18 to $19 per kilogram, has risen to $22 a kilogram. Alvin expects prices to climb even higher next week as supplies continue to tighten.

Similarly, at 99 Old Trees, premium Mao Shan Wang and Black Gold, which retailed for around $20 to $21 per kilogram during the recent bumper harvest, are now selling for around $23 to $24 per kilogram.

Why the glut disappeared so quickly

To consumers, it may seem puzzling that reports of an oversupply have been followed so quickly by sellers talking about tighter supplies.

Kelvin says that's simply how the durian market works.

When large numbers of fruits ripen and fall together, the market is briefly flooded with supply. But once that wave passes, harvest volumes naturally return to normal.

Because durians have such a short shelf life, sellers cannot hold excess stock for long either.

"The news cannot catch up with the durians," Kelvin says with a laugh.

"By the time the news reports the 'durian tsunami', and people come looking for cheap durians, [the wave is] already over."

Bigger harvests could become more common in future

Ironically, while this year's bumper harvest was short-lived, Kelvin believes similar episodes may become more common in future.

He traces the trend back to 2019, when China opened its market to fresh Malaysian durians.

As demand and prices surged, many Malaysian growers expanded their plantations and planted more trees.

Those trees are now beginning to bear fruit.

"So now we are in 2026, some of these farms that were cultivated back in 2020 are starting to fruit," he says.

Kelvin expects Malaysia's overall durian supply to continue growing by around two to three per cent each year.

However, because harvests remain highly dependent on weather conditions, bumper crops can still occur over a short period before quickly tapering off.

More doesn’t always mean better quality

An increase in supply also doesn't necessarily mean better-quality fruit.

Kelvin says many of Malaysia's newer plantations are still harvesting from relatively young trees.

"The fruit looks nice on the outside, but inside it's semi-ripe. The taste is very bland," he says.

According to him, durian trees need several more years to mature before they consistently produce the rich, creamy flavours consumers expect.

Should you buy durians now?

For consumers hoping prices will fall even further, both sellers have similar advice: don't wait too long.

Kelvin says based on what he's seeing on the ground, he expects prices to climb by five per cent this weekend as Johor's durian season continues to taper off.

"If you want to eat durians, better eat them now already," he says.

For Alvin, his advice is simple: "Don't wait for the durian price to drop. Durians don't wait for you."

Durian 36 is at 608 Geylang Rd, S389547. More info via Instagram. 99 Old Trees Durian is at 1 Teo Hong Rd, S088321. More info via Instagram.