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Planning, R&D failures blamed for Malaysia's durian glut
🇲🇾 Malaysia /Economy & Trade

Planning, R&D failures blamed for Malaysia's durian glut

From Utusan Malaysia · () Malay

Translated from Malay, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Durian glut in Malaysia is attributed to poor planning and weak research and development, leading to price drops and reduced farmer income.
  • Experts highlight the need for technology to synchronize harvest seasons and control flowering to prevent market gluts and protect tree health.
  • The government and farmers are urged to develop proactive, long-term strategies to ensure the sustainability of the durian industry against future supply surges.

A glut of durians in Malaysia, causing prices to plummet and farmers' incomes to suffer, has been linked to a failure in planning and weak research and development, according to a university lecturer.

Associate Prof. Dr. Muhamad Shakirin Mispan from Universiti Malaya's Institute of Biological Sciences identified critical gaps in commercial durian cultivation. He noted the absence of mechanisms to coordinate synchronized harvesting across different zones, leading to supply exceeding demand. "The country also needs scientific methods to control durian flowering, as some areas are found to fruit up to three times a year," he stated, warning that unnatural cycles could shorten the lifespan of durian trees.

The country also needs scientific methods to control durian flowering, as some areas are found to fruit up to three times a year.

— Dr. Muhamad Shakirin MispanExplaining the need for technological intervention in durian cultivation to manage production cycles.

Malaysia also lacks advanced technology for storing and maintaining the freshness of durians post-harvest. Shakirin predicts such drastic gluts will recur every few years. He urged the government and farmers to proactively devise long-term strategies now to ensure the durian industry's economic chain remains sustainable if similar situations arise again.

Shakirin suggested that extreme weather, particularly heat stress from recent hot spells, might have triggered simultaneous flowering and fruiting, contributing to the current oversupply. He called for in-depth scientific studies and precise data collection on local temperature trends and harvest yields to prove the direct link between climate factors and the surge in durian production. "The fall in durian prices should be fully utilized by industry players to promote Malaysian durian as a premium tourism product," he added, emphasizing the need for targeted collaboration between farmer communities and the government to systematically organize durian festivals.

The fall in durian prices should be fully utilized by industry players to promote Malaysian durian as a premium tourism product.

— Dr. Muhamad Shakirin MispanSuggesting a strategy to leverage the current durian glut for tourism promotion.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Utusan Malaysia in Malay. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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