There may be a silver lining even as Malaysia endures an ongoing heatwave — with temperatures reaching a high of 37 deg C in Penang — an earlier, cheaper wave of durians.
Amidst prolonged hot weather and dry spells, durian trees in Penang have bloomed, with some plantations seeing early harvests.
The main durian season in Penang typically runs from May to August, with the season peaking in June and July.
On Monday (March 23), Malaysian news outlet The Star reported that growers across Balik Pulau in Penang have seen about 20 per cent of their trees fruiting ahead of schedule.
Orchard owner Tan Chee Keat, 35, told the Malaysian paper that he expects the bulk of his harvest to begin from end-April to mid-August.
Meanwhile, another orchard owner, Tang Boon Ley, 61, also told The Star that his trees are full of flowers, while some have already started fruiting.
However, the prolonged heat and dry spell, beyond the typical two weeks required, also means orchard owners have to ensure that their trees are watered sufficiently.
Checks by AsiaOne on the durian timetable published by orchards which offer eat-and-stay packages show that some, such as Bao Sheng Durian Farm, are now offering packages from early-May onwards.
Earlier in March, farms such as Green Acres had opened up bookings from around end-May.
But this happiness may be short-lived.
Fertiliser price hikes will affect fruit, vegetable prices
Shipping disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict have resulted in farmers paying more for fertilisers.
Fertiliser production is energy-intensive, relying heavily on natural gas as a feedstock, with energy making up as much as 70 per cent of production costs.
As a result, much of the world’s fertiliser is made in the Middle East, with one-third of global trade in it passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping route along Iran’s coast that has largely been shut since the conflict began.
Some 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas also transits the strait, and its near closure, combined with missile and drone strikes across the Gulf, have forced regional energy facilities to halt output.
That has, in turn, shut fertiliser plants in the Gulf and beyond, just as farmers across the northern hemisphere, including in Asia, prepare for spring planting, leaving little margin for delays.
Koh Lai Ann, president of the Federation of Malaysia Fruit Farmers Association told Sinchew Daily that local consumers may soon need to pay more for fruits as production shrinks significantly.
He attributed this to rising fertiliser raw material prices, which have surged by 100 to 150 per cent over the past two weeks.
Koh warned that if the conflict remains protracted and affects supply, Malaysian farmers may face a situation of no fertilisers.
“Even with money, fertiliser cannot be purchased,” he told Sinchew.
This would in turn disrupt fertilisation schedules, which would lead to poor fruit development, higher fruit drop rates, and even unhealthy trees due to insufficient nutrients.
He assessed that prices may increase by 10 to 20 per cent, or even more, over the next three to six months.
“Fertilisers account for 30 to 50 per cent of production costs and rising fuel prices pushing up logistics costs will see overall production costs rise by at least 30 per cent,” Koh said.
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editor@asiaone.com
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