It is a nightmare for farmers but a bonanza for consumers. A bumper harvest of durian in Malaysia has caused a collapse in the price in the pungent king of fruit which is loved across the region.
The fruit is being sold in Malaysian markets for just 30 Malaysian cents a kilogramme, against a high few years ago of M$12 (HK$24.63). The price crash has put the fruit within reach of even the poorest consumers.
Even the varieties favoured by the wealthy, such as Ang Hare or Red Prawn, which once fetched M$35 a kilogramme, are now being bought by the common people.
But government officials said thousands of farmers faced financial ruin because of the durian glut, caused by over-cultivation and ideal, dry weather in February when the flowers pollinated.
The price crash has sparked a debate on how best to overcome the 'durian crisis'.
Farmers said they want to replant their durian orchards with rubber or sugar cane that fetch higher prices.