First hotels and now fruit!
Thanks to the very deadly Covid-19 coronavirus, the infamous Musang King has lessened in price. According to the Star Online, a durian trader from Penang, Tan Chee Keat (we’ll call him Uncle Tan), has revealed that you can find Musang King from RM24 to RM33 per kg instead of the usual hefty RM55.
As AMAZING as that is, it is without a doubt that traders like uncle Tan are facing huge backlash from the outbreak. Traders have put off travels due to fear of getting infected by the virus. According to him, exports have seen a decline of about 70%, especially from the China market.
“It’s a shame because the durian supply in Penang will definitely be more than enough due to the long hot weather”, he told the Star.
Besides, Uncle Tan, Durian Central partner, Lim (Uncle Lim), suffered a 50% drop in sales at his stall since the epidemic. He noted that a lot of his customers are from China, Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
“Penangites only come in May, June and July – the durian season here,” he said, further stating that many of his customers are foreigners that come to taste the fruit.
Despite the fact that neither traders export their fruit abroad, it goes without saying just how huge of an impact the Coronavirus has. On a every-cloud-has-a-silver-lining-note, we now have cheaper durians!
Also read: Hotels in Langkawi Now Giving Up To 70% Discount After Travel Industry Hit by Coronavirus Fear