THE sale of local durians has dropped in Perlis this season, as customers prefer to buy those from the neighbouring country.

Durian seller Syed Alkhaled Syed Ali said he saw a 70% plunge in the sale of local durians this season from the previous season.

“Many people buy Thai durians as they are cheaper than local durians,” said the 32-year-old from Seriab.

“Thai durians are priced at about RM15 per kilogramme, much lower than local durians which are sold at between RM23 and RM70 per kilogramme depending on their type and quality.”

However, Syed Alkhaled, who started selling the fruit two years ago, said some customers still preferred local durians as they are sweeter.

“Though sales are declining, I still sell local durians for the satisfaction of durian lovers here.”

Another durian seller shares the same sentiment.

Muhamad Haikal Amin said local durians go through a price hike each year, so he started focusing on selling Thai durians this year.

“Most of my customers will ask for Thai durians as they are cheaper, so I am selling more Thai durians than local ones this year.”

Though there is a significant demand for durians from the neighbouring country, the 38-year-old still sells the local durian kampung variety as an option.

Customer Rashid Omar, 45, said local durians have always been his preferred choice as they are usually stronger in smell and taste.

“Yesterday, I bought durian ‘siam’ (durians from Thailand) as I have not had it in a long time. Although it has beautiful yellow flesh, it cannot beat the taste of the local durian.

“Everyone has different tastes, and it depends on your budget because local durians can be quite expensive.” – Bernama, May 27, 2022.