Musang King durian farmers struggle as prices fall below cost

More than 200 registered Musang King durian farmers in Gua Musang are struggling financially as prices for the fruit have plummeted this season. The falling prices are impacting their ability to cover operational costs, including fertilizer and labor wages, with many facing difficulties in recouping their investments.

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More than 200 registered farmers with our association are affected as durian prices have dropped this season. Musang King cultivation requires high capital and meticulous care.

Farmers expressed their concerns at the Musang King Durian Festival in Gua Musang. Tan Hu Hoi, vice chairman of the Gua Musang Agricultural Investors Association, highlighted that the high costs associated with cultivating Musang King durian, which requires meticulous care, are no longer offset by the current market prices. He called for government intervention to create a dedicated agency for the durian industry, similar to bodies that support cocoa and pineapple cultivation, to oversee development, marketing, and export.

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The price of fertilizer and labor wages are getting higher. Usually, the durian season is when we make our capital turnover, but this time the sales results cannot cover the costs invested.

Lim Mai Khim, a smallholder farmer, lamented that the rising costs of fertilizer and labor have made it impossible to cover maintenance expenses with the current sales revenue. "Usually, the durian season is when we recoup our capital, but this time, sales cannot cover the invested costs," he said. Farmers are hoping for a mechanism to regulate prices and prevent further losses for smallholders.

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We hope there is a mechanism to help regulate prices so that smallholders do not continue to bear losses.

To further support the industry, the Kelantan Musang King Association coordinator, Yuganu Yunus, suggested that the government, through relevant departments, build cold storage facilities in key durian production areas like Gua Musang, Kuala Krai, or Tanah Merah. Such facilities would allow for temporary storage during peak harvest seasons, enabling farmers to market their produce later when prices are more favorable, thus stabilizing supply and prices.

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The government through relevant departments and agencies is advised to build cold storage facilities in the main durian production areas such as Gua Musang, Kuala Krai or Tanah Merah to facilitate storage of produce during the glut season.