Durian Glut In Sarawak Spurs RM1 'Happy Hour' Deals

By Rozlin Rusharmeen Rosmin

KUCHING, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- The unmistakable strong smell of durians from rows of trucks laden with greenish-yellow fruit signals the arrival of the long-awaited season for the “king of fruits” lovers in Sarawak, boosted by an abundant supply of local durians now flooding the market.

The surplus, particularly of kampung durians from southern Sarawak, inspired trader Akmal Hakim Saidan, 29, and his siblings to offer rock-bottom prices as low as RM1 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, translating to roughly 12,000 kampung durians daily,” he told Bernama.

He said each durian is graded upon arrival, and cracked fruits are set aside for making tempoyak (fermented durian paste), while good-quality durians are sold through auctions or bundled in time-based ‘happy hour’ deals, such as a full bag for RM25 or RM1 per fruit.

Akmal said that by using social media like Facebook as free promotional tools, the heavily discounted sales remain profitable due to high volume.

To meet strong demand, the shop operates daily from 8 am to midnight throughout the season, with weekends and after-work hours drawing the largest crowds.

“Besides durians, we also sell other tropical fruits such as rambutan, langsat and dabai, which are also offered at special time-based prices. Dabai, for instance, can go for as low as RM8 per kilogramme during happy hour,” he added.

A Bernama survey found customers and tourists alike taking advantage of the bargain prices.

Sisters Atikah Morni, 26, and Kamariah Morni, 21, said they were drawn to the shop after seeing the promotions on social media.

“During durian season, we come here every year because the prices are very low and reasonable. This time, we chose durians priced at RM3 and RM8,” Atikah said.

Meanwhile, Charles Chua, 44, shared his experience visiting Kuching with his future in-laws from West Kalimantan, Indonesia, to savour Sarawak’s festive durian season.

“I bought three for RM24. It’s cheap and truly worth it. Sarawak durians are really good, so I’m happy to support local produce,” said the Sibu native.

-- BERNAMA