Malaysian durian farmers are getting crushed as prices collapse to a third of their 2024 peak — bad for growers, good for buyers in China.

• Top-grade Musang King sold for half of last year's price in July, and only a third of the 2024 high.
• China opened its market to Malaysian frozen durian in 2019 and fresh durian in 2024, sparking a planting boom across Southeast Asia.
• Malaysia's durian acreage grew 40% since 2016 — now bigger than all of Singapore — while output nearly doubled, flooding the market.
• Costs are going the other way: hot dry weather means more watering and fertilizer, new pests pushed pesticide prices up 30%, and one grower saw no fruit bats pollinating his trees this season.
• Farmers say breaking even this year would be a good outcome, and they still have to fight Thai and Vietnamese growers for Chinese buyers.

Outlook: With more young trees maturing and rivals undercutting them, Malaysian growers face another squeezed season and likely losses.