Mountain Cat Durian is famous for its processed products such as durian ice cream and puffs.
KUCHING: The Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) is expecting lower-than-normal durian yields this season at below 300,000 metric tonnes.
Fama said conditions challenging the industry include high rainfall, farms lacking manpower support due to the Movement Control Order (MCO), and the prohibition of communal activities like squatting by roadside stalls and enjoying durians as the country battles Covid-19.
However, Fama still expects 2020 to be an optimistic year for the durian industry.
“Most durian sellers foresee demand to remain strong domestically and internationally, especially from the Singaporean and Chinese markets with China’s economy beginning to recover.
“Malaysians may not be able to enjoy it by the roadside this year but consumption will remain strong in line with their love for durian,” Fama said in a joint press statement with Shopee.
Fama also encouraged sellers to embrace e-commerce to boost their sales during this challenging period.
Shopee has found Malaysian durian sellers unperturbed by the disruptions and very progressive in their approach to e-commerce.
It noted a new and interesting trend as the platform has organically attracted durian farmers from across the country as they bring their offerings of D24, Musang King, XO, Hor Lor, Udang Merah, and more online.
“Many have also gotten creative with their own campaigns like ‘Duduk Rumah, Makan Durian’ in order to stay relevant. Covid-19 has seen to be impacting businesses adversely in many ways beyond just sales,” Shopee said.
Shan Cheng Durian, which used to have tourists at its 12-acre farm in Balik Pulau, Penang, prior to the outbreak, has been looking for new ways of selling the harvest, and innovative ways to keep the durians fresh and delicious.
“There are many things to consider when going online. Freshness of the durian is one of them. To ensure that our customers receive the best quality, we collect the durians from the farm in the morning, open and repack into boxes, and vacuum pack them before they go out for delivery on the same day.
“With so many sellers online competing for sales, it boils down to quality, service, and price to win the crowd,” said Shan Cheng Durian co-founder and business manager Leow Shuen.
For Mountain Cat Durian, the Covid-19 outbreak impacted the sales of its processed products such as durian puffs and ice cream by 50 per cent due to the low business-to-business (B2B) demand from the bakery and confectionery sector, as well as the food and beverage merchants.
The Puchong-based company, whose 20-acre farm is in Broga, Negeri Sembilan, also experienced financial struggles from the overhead expenses such as labour and factory commitment.
“With our offline and B2B sales being hit amid rising cost pressures, we realised it was time for us to explore an offline-to-online model to sustain the business and ensure that our durians do not go to waste. Prior to selling online, we only had a few orders in a month; but now on Shopee, we receive orders every day.
“The current circumstance is an eye opener for us — it showed us that we cannot be complacent in our approach by ignoring the digital world,” shared Mountain Cat founder Ma Tuck Mun.
Mountain Cat’s Musang King pulp is currently its bestseller on Shopee.
Shan Cheng Durian offers fresh and delicious durians.
Shopee further revealed that the keyword search for ‘durian’ on its platform is also beginning to trend, signifying consumers’ interest as the season begins.
In a bid to help the durian sellers sustain their incomes and give Malaysians their durian fix, Shopee will be featuring both Shan Cheng Durian and Mountain Cat, along with 500 other durian and fruit sellers in its 6.6 Super Sale from now to June 6.
Durians will be on Shocking Sale at 66 sen with an added 10 per cent in-store discount for selected sellers throughout the campaign.
“The effects of Covid-19 have translated into many other aspects of our lives beyond our health. It has hindered us from activities we love like bonding with friends and family over durian.
“However, that doesn’t mean that we cannot still enjoy durian or treat our loved ones to some. With more durian sellers coming online, Malaysians can get them from our platform to be enjoyed safely at home.
“Furthermore, our local sellers need our continued support for the sake of our economy. That is why besides featuring them in our campaigns like the 6.6 Super Sale, Shopee is committed to keeping our platform cost-effective,” said Shopee regional managing director Ian Ho.
He pointed out that sellers are cautioned to ensure that they are able to fulfil the orders — supply, packaging, and logistics — prior to selling.
“We understand that this may be daunting for first-time online sellers and as such, assigned a dedicated team to assist those in need of help. They can reach out to us at http://tiny.cc/shopeefresh and we will be in touch.”
For savings on a wide assortment of products, deals start from only 66 sen with free shipping with a minimum spend of RM16, as well as daily RM6 vouchers during the 6.6 Super Sale.
There will also be a 6.6 Shopee Live Festival featuring Taiwanese pop stars Alien Huang, Emma Wu, Tiffany Hsu, Sam Tseng, and Blaire Chang as well as local stars Nabila Razali, Pongpong, Shalma Eliana, and Yonnyboii.
The session will culminate with Malaysia’s queen of pop Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza on June 6.
Users can also play Shopee Poly, Shopee Treasure Box, Shopee Catch, Flip & Match, and more to keep entertained.