8 Facts About June 2021 Durian Season, Which is Happening Now

It’s once again that time of the year, when Singaporeans go crazy about the spiky green fruits called durians.

These days, it’s practically impossible for anything to remain constant and unchanging due to COVID-19. So, here are 8 facts about this June 2021 durian season!

Previously Hard-to-get Varietals are Now Available in S’pore 

If there’s anything even slightly good that COVID-19 has brought, it’s that it has indirectly caused durian varietals that had previously not been available in Singapore, to finally reach our shores.

That’s right—with COVID-19 safety measures still in place, the reduced domestic demand in Malaysia means rare durian varietals are making their way here.

Currently, the Malaysian government has extended its COVID-19 lockdown, which started on 1 June, for another two weeks until 28 June. This comes after a looser movement control order (MCO) in May failed to prevent another wave of COVID-19 cases.

Mr Kelvin Tan, director of 99 Old Trees durian store in Owen Road, said that ” the lockdown in Malaysia has seriously affected consumption”.

“Many durian stalls in Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur have reported a more than 40 per cent reduction in sales. Penang durians, which traditionally were not exported to Singapore due to the distance, also found their way here this year because of lacklustre sales there,” he added.

Owner of The Durian Story in Serangoon North, Mr Jonathan Tee, also said: “Previously, many people, including tourists from Singapore, flew to Penang to eat durian. There was no export because there wasn’t enough for its own market. But that market is gone, so the sellers have no choice but to export to Singapore.”

On top of Penang durians, another varietal that will soon be available is the Black Thorn, and maybe even the Tupai King—both of which are considered to be rare in Singapore.

Ordering Online is the New Trend 

With the COVID-19 pandemic and case numbers rising once again to double-digits, some stalls have adapted by providing delivery services to their customers and moving their businesses online.

A similar thing happened during the durian season last year when shops were forced to branch out to online ordering and delivery services due to the ongoing pandemic.

“This season, we are geared towards delivery. Hence, all our available dine-in space has been used to facilitate the higher volume of deliveries,” said Mr Tan last year.

99 Old Trees is just one of the few stores to have moved their business online. Other tech-savvy brands like Jojo Durian and Durian Papi have similarly upped their website game in order to make the choosing and ordering process smoother.

Spotting Scams is Now a Valuable Skill 

Never thought I would see the day where scam-spotting would be a good skill to have, especially in relation to durian season, of all things.

Unfortunately, like in any other case, online shopping also means the possibility of getting scammed.

After all, when you’re unable to use your senses to see, smell and taste the durians before purchase, the quality of the durians can’t be assured.

Mr Tan warned that the first thing online shoppers should take note of is to watch out for scammers. “When purchasing online, it’s important to look out for reviews and ask around for recommendations. There are increasing cases of durian scams and inferior durians being sold online this season,” he added.

Delivery Orders Now the Preferred Option Over Dine-in and Takeaway 

Not only are sellers shifting towards online ordering and deliveries, it seems like this is also the preferred option for many customers.

I think the sharp rise in delivery orders shows just how much customers appreciate this alternative option.

According to Mr Tan, delivery orders for 99 Old Trees before the COVID-19 pandemic only made up 35% of sales, while the bulk of sales came from dine-in and takeaway.

Now, however, delivery orders instead make up about 80% of the shop’s sales, reports The Straits Times.

Similarly, The Durian Story has also seen a surge in delivery orders. Pre-COVID-19, delivery orders for The Durian Story had been around 20% to 30%. Now, delivery orders make up around 50% of their sales.

With delivery, also comes the inevitable delivery fees.

Delivery fees vary from stall to stall. 99 Old Trees charges a fixed fee of S$6.90 for islandwide deliveries, but will waive the delivery fees for orders above S$150.

Meanwhile, stalls like Durian Kaki and Durian Delivery charge more expensive delivery fees at around S$10.

There are Places to Get Durian for Just $5 

Everybody loves cheap products. So without further ado, I present to you: places to get durian for just $5 in Singapore.

First to be mentioned is Top Durian Station, which is offering D24, D13 and D101 cultivar durians at S$5 per fruit at their Jurong West outlet.

Another mentioned is Louis Durian, which is offering D13 and D101 cultivar durians at S$5 per piece. This deal was announced on 22 June on the stall’s Facebook.

Lastly, Durian 36 announced on 15 June on Facebook that their durian prices start at S$5. The stall is located along Geylang Road.

Prices Will Fluctuate Even During Durian Season 

Even during the durian season, when prices are expected to be the lowest compared to the rest of the year, prices can fluctuate during the season.

Durian prices will be at their lowest during the peak of the durian season and will be slightly more expensive at low peak periods. Of course, the peak of the durian season will also vary depending on the type of durian.

For example, according to The Straits Times, Mr Tee has said that he would be stopping sales of Penang durians as they are no longer at their peak. Instead, he would be focusing on Johor durians.

According to 36-year-old durian fan Lee Yuan Jin, the quality of durians will improve and prices will drop at the very peak of the durian season.

Supply of Durians Will Not be Affected by COVID-19

Ever since COVID-19 descended on the world like hell on earth, we’ve all heard the phrase “supply chain disruptions” at some point.

Now, given the lockdown going on in Malaysia, many of us may be worried: oh no, will the supply of durians be affected? 

The answer? No.

As reported by The Straits Times, local durian vendors have said that the lockdown in Malaysia is not slowing down durian deliveries across the Causeway.

According to Mr Tan, this is because the remote Malaysian villages, where the plantations are, have not been as badly affected by the pandemic compared to major cities such as Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru.

“The movement restrictions have resulted in minor delays in export licensing procedures and inconveniences, but, by and large, they are still quite well managed,” said Mr Tan.

Instead, what will affect durian supplies is the rainy weather earlier in the year. According to Mr Tan, “rainy weather in late April and May caused many of the blooming durian flowers to fall without forming fruit”.

Singapore and Malaysia Not the Only Countries to Celebrate Durian Season 

Turns out, other than Singapore and Malaysia, there is yet another country that can compete with our love for durians.

In recent years, durians have surged in popularity in China, to the point that concern over a possible rise in prices and fall in supply for durians in Singapore have emerged.

In fact, Malaysia’s largest durian supplier, MAPC Sdn Bhd, exports about 90% of its fruit to China.

As reported in The Straits Times, the top-selling variety at JD.com’s 618 festival was the Sultan durian from Pahang state. This festival is said to be China’s second-largest shopping event after Alibaba’s Singles’ Day.

According to United Nations data, imports of fresh durians into China quadrupled to US$2.3 billion (S$3 billion) in 2020 from 2017—becoming the country’s number one fruit import by value in 2019, even overtaking cherries.

Featured Image: Torjrtrx / Shutterstock.com