Musang King for $5: Hougang durian stall offers discounts to elderly and low-income folks

A durian stall in Hougang is offering the popular Musang King variety at a heavily discounted price for seniors and lower-income customers.

On Tuesday (June 25), Lexus Durian King announced on their Facebook page that it is selling Musang King durians at $5 each to Pioneer Generation customers and CHAS (Community Health Assist Scheme) card holders.

To redeem the deal, customers should flash the relevant cards at the flagship stall at 1001 Upper Serangoon Road. Each person can buy up to two durians.

The promotion is valid while stocks last, the stall's co-director Stella Soh told AsiaOne on Wednesday. 

"There's inflation and times are bad. Some of us may want to eat durian, but may not be able to afford it. Hopefully, this allows more people to enjoy durian," Soh added.

Since they announced the promotion, she said the stall has sold more than five tonnes of durian. 

"We saw quite a few seniors and their families coming down, and I also received quite a few calls and texts about the promotion," she said. 

On Tuesday, the stall's manager, Qiu Xuxian (transliteration), told 8world that their Musang King durian are imported from Pahang and usually go for $18 to $20 per kilogram. 

To cope with the increased demand during the promotion, Qiu said they plan to import two to three tonnes of durian every day during the durian season, which lasts from June to August. Each durian weighs at least one kilogram, he added.

Besides the $5 Musang King deal, the stall is also offering a 20 per cent discount on their premium durian for customers with Pioneer Generation and blue CHAS cards. They will also get a free coconut drink.

Customers with the Merdeka Generation, green or orange CHAS cards can get 10 per cent off any purchase.

Xu Yuantian, 72, told 8world that he is a regular customer of Lexus Durian King, and usually pays $10 to $20 for 1kg of Musang King durian. 

Taking advantage of the Pioneer Generation discount this time, he purchased 11 durians. 

Another customer, Xie Jiawei, said he learnt about the promotion on social media and made a trip to the stall. The 33-year-old praised the special price for the elderly. 

Fang Junxiang, who also visited the stall, agreed it was a good move, as durian is typically considered a premium fruit.

Bumper crop due to heatwave in Malaysia 

In May, The Straits Times reported that the durian industry is expecting a surplus in durians this year, in particular for Musang King. This is because the increased temperatures in the region provide better conditions for durian trees to bloom. 

The intense heat also forces the trees to absorb more nutrients and fertiliser in their surroundings as a natural survival mechanism. 

This leads to fruits with better aroma, flavour, colour and texture, said Datuk Paul Mak, managing director of Brighhill Synergy, which owns a durian plantation.

ALSO READ: This made my day: Durian vendor in Yishun treats elderly to $30k worth of fruits

claudiatan@asiaone.com