THE unique Malaysian pastime of eating durians by the roadside might have to end as social-distancing rules kick in a Covid-19 world.

Durian farmers in Balik Pulau in the southwest of Penang are bracing for slow sales after the movement-control order (MCO) is lifted on May 12.

They have already been experiencing a drop in income because of the partial lockdown and expect consumers to remain cautious even after the MCO ends.

During the durian season from late April to June, farmers will set up roadside huts to display the thorny fruit to passing motorists, many of whom stop to enjoy the experience of eating freshly opened durian on the spot.

But this year, Balik Pulau farmer Abdul Majid Hassan, 65, said his income declined by 30% to 40% as the MCO prevented him from opening a roadside stall.

“In previous years, we could get close to RM5,000 for one season but this year, it will be less,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Majid is wary at the idea of couriering his durians to customers, as he fears they will get damaged.

He plans to open his roadside durian stall once the MCO ends and plans to provide sanitisers and to enforce social distancing.

“Customers will not be allowed to eat at the stall any more. It won’t be as fun this durian season.”

Wholesaler Ismail Hashim Zakaria, 32, plans to use Facebook to sell the fruit.

“Things will be uncertain, even when the MCO is over. So, some friends and I have decided to do live broadcasts to sell durian on Facebook.

“We’ll show them the durian outside and inside, so they can see how good it is. If they are satisfied and place an order, we’ll deliver it to them. But we’ll probably limit it to customers in Penang.”

But Ismail is already bracing for a less-festive season as of the 10 to 15 traders he normally supplies to, only four have indicated that they want to resume orders.

“We’re expecting a revenue drop of 50% compared to last year,” Ismail said.

Farmers of another treasured local fruit, the harum manis mango, have also had a hard time getting their produce to customers.

Orders for the in-demand fruit are commonly couriered but with the MCO, farmers have ended up with wasted fruit and financial losses.

Farmer Mohd Yusri Mohamad, 34, said some orders sent out had to be replaced with new fruits after customers complained of damage.

“Harum manis is more sensitive than other kinds of mango. If you harvest it today, you let it ripen for one more day and then have to eat it within three days.

“After four days, the fruit starts to rot. So, timing is crucial when ordering and delivery by courier is important,” Yusri told The Malaysian Insight.

He tells his customers to order eight days in advance. If the fruit is rejected due to damage, he either gives a replacement or a refund.

Yusri, who owns 40 mango trees in his 0.4ha orchard, said business has dropped by up to 30% because of the MCO.

Yusri won’t be able to earn as much as he did last year, as the season for harum manis mangoes ends in May.

The mango’s name in Malay, which translates into “sweet fragrance”, is an iconic product of Perlis, the country’s smallest and northern-most state in the peninsula, where the weather conditions prove favourable.

Another farmer from the state, in Chuping, Salikin Che Selimen, 39, said his mangoes are in high demand.

Sales in the last three weeks have topped RM10,000, thanks to his promotions on Facebook.

“There has been a demand during the MCO, probably because people are just sitting at home and scrolling through Facebook, so they see the advertisement for our mangoes there.”

However, despite the increased orders, Salikin said deliveries have become more challenging when sent by courier.

“There are more problems when we send the fruit through post, whether it’s the wrong address, customers who cannot be reached or damage to the packaging and fruit.”

He and Yusri said they are looking forward to the end of the MCO when regular customers can come to their orchards to pick the fruit themselves. – May 3, 2020.