Key facts
- Malaysian durian growers are experiencing financial losses due to climate change impacts.
- Extreme weather events like flooding and persistent rain have damaged durian trees and affected pollination.
- Increased costs for fuel and fertilizer, exacerbated by global conflicts, are raising production expenses.
- Oversupply in Malaysia has led to a significant drop in durian prices.
- China is a major importer of durians, driving a boom in the export market.
- Malaysia's durian production area has increased significantly since 2016.
Malaysian durian growers, including orchard owner Stephen Chow, are struggling to maintain profitability due to the impacts of climate change. Extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall causing flooding and damaging trees, as well as persistent rain during flowering seasons leading to pollination failure, have significantly reduced yields. Chow reported that breaking even would be a success for the current year, with most likely a loss.
Compounding these issues are rising costs for essential inputs like fuel and fertilizer, partly attributed to the conflict in Iran. Furthermore, an oversupply of durians in Malaysia, driven by favorable weather conditions and more orchards reaching maturity, has caused prices to plummet. Grade A Musang King durians are selling for approximately half the price compared to the previous year.
Despite these challenges, the demand for durians, particularly premium Malaysian varieties like Musang King and Black Thorn, remains strong in China. China began importing whole frozen durians in 2019 and fresh durians in 2024, significantly expanding its market. The country procures a vast majority of global durian exports, with import volumes increasing dramatically over the past decade. While Malaysia lags behind Thailand and Vietnam in export volume to China, the Malaysian industry emphasizes the superior quality of its fruit.