Melaka: The Melaka government will be organising the Melaka Durian Festival 'Kendurian' 2026 on July 5 by offering a premium Musang King and Black Thorn durian buffet at RM25 to the people of the state. State Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security Exco Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh announced that the event, set to take place at Duta Riang Villa, Selandar, aims to assist smallholders in Melaka by providing them a platform to market their durian produce, while also allowing the public to enjoy quality durians at affordable prices.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, despite the current durian glut in the market, the retail price of premium durians such as Musang King remains around RM25 to RM35 per kilogramme, and Black Thorn is nearing RM40 per kilogramme. To address this, the state government has initiated this programme to enable Melaka residents, who might otherwise find premium durians financially out of reach, to experience Musang King and Black Thorn at a significantly reduced price.
The programme, which will run from 11 am to 4 pm, is also open to visitors from outside Melaka for a fee of RM50 per person. Additionally, children under 12 years old will be able to enjoy durians with free entry. Muhamad Akmal anticipates that at least 12 metric tonnes of premium durians will be available throughout the event, with the possibility of increasing the supply based on visitor response.
Melaka residents wishing to take advantage of the RM25 offer must present their identification card as proof of eligibility, including holders of Melaka state coded identification cards. The durians are to be consumed exclusively at the programme location, and each participant can enjoy unlimited durians for 20 minutes within their designated slot.
The Kendurian programme is not only expected to offer an enjoyable experience for durian lovers but also aims to attract more tourists to Melaka in conjunction with the Visit Melaka Year 2024-2026. Furthermore, it seeks to open up additional marketing opportunities for local durian farmers.