Why are Singaporean sellers hesitant to match Malaysian durian prices?

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Singaporean sellers are hesitant to match Malaysian durian prices because Singapore’s higher operating costs prevent them from lowering prices to Malaysia’s level.

Singaporean durian sellers say local prices have dipped, but they are unlikely to track Malaysia’s plunge because the cost structure in Singapore is much higher. They point to overheads, transportation, and Goods and Services Tax (GST) as key reasons they cannot price durians as cheaply as producers in Malaysia, where oversupply has pushed retail prices down sharply.
Singapore’s costs make Malaysia-style pricing hard to reach
Sellers say the prices seen in Malaysia are not achievable in Singapore once additional expenses are included. They specifically cite overheads, transportation, and GST, arguing that these costs keep Singaporean retailers from lowering prices to the same level as Malaysia.
Malaysia’s oversupply is tied to an earlier, larger harvest
Singapore depends heavily on imports from Johor and Pahang, where seasons typically peak in June, July, and December. This year, hotter temperatures led to an earlier and more abundant harvest, creating a massive oversupply that helped drive lower retail prices in Malaysia.
Singaporean prices are expected to bottom out higher than Malaysia’s
Local sellers expect prices to fall, but not to the same “cheap” levels seen across the border. For example, Mao Shan Wang in Singapore fell from around S$28 per kg at a March peak to S$20 per kg as of June 23, with expectations to bottom out around S$18 per kg; meanwhile, Red Prawn eased from S$14 to S$12 per kg.
Sellers also flag quality concerns from a younger-tree glut
Even with lower prices, sellers warn that quantity does not guarantee fruit quality. They say the current flood of durians comes from younger trees, which can severely impact quality and require more time to sieve out better fruit, adding another practical constraint on how much they can discount.

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Why are Singaporean sellers hesitant to match Malaysian durian prices?

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