The 20-minute buffet will be held during the one-day Melaka Durian Festival 2026 on July 5 in Selandar, a town in the state’s Jasin District.
The price was originally set at RM25 for state residents and RM50 for out-of-state visitors, but Melaka’s Chief Minister Ab Rauf Yusoh has approved a subsidy to provide the special rate for the first 2,000 visitors, according to Tourism Melaka.
“Ab Rauf wants to treat the people to premium durians and celebrate the season together with them,” Muhamad Akmal Saleh, the state’s State Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security Committee chairman, told The Star on Thursday.
“Visitors above the figure will have to pay the original RM25 per entry to the orchard,” he said, adding that the festival also includes traditional performances, food truck offerings and a petting zoo.
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This photo taken on June 30, 2026, shows a peeled Black Thorn durian fruit in Malaysia. Photo by AFP |
The festival comes amid a bumper durian harvest across several of Malaysia’s key growing regions, creating an oversupply that has triggered a sharp drop in prices in what local media have dubbed a “durian tsunami.”
Prices for the prized Musang King have fallen by as much as 90% to as low as RM9 (US$2.20) per kilogram. Other popular varieties, including 101 and Red Prawn, have also been selling for as little as RM2 per fruit while some regular durians cost just RM0.50 each, local media reported late last month.
Industry players, however, have said the price slump largely affects lower-grade and smaller fruits that do not meet export standards.
“Despite the current durian glut in the market, the retail price of premium durians such as Musang King is still around RM25 to RM35 per kilogram, while Black Thorn is almost reaching RM40 per kilogram,” Muhamad Akmal told national news agency Bernama on Tuesday.
The festival aims to draw more tourists to Melaka and open up more marketing opportunities for local durian growers, he added.
Sourcee.vnexpress.net
