DURIAN OVERSUPPLY DUE TO EXPORT-GRADE CLONES, NOT WEAK DEMAND - FAMA

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 9 (Bernama) -- 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).

FAMA deputy director-general (Food Security and Operations) Faisal Iswardi Ismail said 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.

“The drop in clone durian prices to RM15–RM20 per kilogram has affected village durian prices nationwide,” he told a press conference after launching the Agro MADANI Seasonal Fruit and Durian Sales Programme here today.

To help farmers, FAMA is purchasing village durians affected by falling prices and processing them into paste and pulp at specialised centres in Besut, Jerantut, Sungai Petani, and Machang.

While FAMA has 14 processing centres nationwide, the current focus is on four main locations to manage the oversupply and process fruit unsuitable for fresh sale.

Faisal Iswardi said FAMA also operates 42 centres nationwide to conduct direct purchases, particularly of village durian, either for fresh sale or value-added processing.

“To strengthen the management of excess supply, FAMA has mobilised its network of 285 marketing outlets nationwide, including farmers’ markets, permanent farmers’ markets, fresh fruit stalls and trading centres,” he said.

He said the Agro MADANI sales programme is among the intervention measures to stabilise the market, protect producers’ income and ensure consumers continue to have access to local durian at reasonable prices.

At the two-day Agro MADANI Seasonal Fruit and Durian Sales Programme, which began yesterday, more than 30 tonnes of durians and seasonal fruits were brought in for direct sale, particularly from Jerantut, Pahang and Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan.

The sale recorded over RM100,000 in revenue on the first day, prompting the programme to be extended until tomorrow, with a two-day sales target of RM200,000.

He said FAMA is also planning a second round of durian sales at the same location, subject to supply availability, adding that 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.

-- BERNAMA