Stephen Chow's workers collect durians at night to supply the Chinese market, but their hard work may not be enough to keep the farm profitable.

Extreme weather has hurt Chow's orchard in Karak, with flooding in 2021 and too much rain during the flowering season in the following years, reducing his yield.

Chow said that breaking even would be good, but he will likely lose money this year.

Workers in Karak, Malaysia, harvest durians to sell to China.

Between February and April, hot weather and nighttime rain helped the durian flowers, but higher fuel and fertilizer prices increased costs.

Too many durians in Malaysia have lowered prices, with Grade A Musang King durians selling for about half the price of last year.

China's demand for durians has grown rapidly.

Durians have a strong smell and a creamy texture with different flavors, which some people love and others hate.

Malaysia's durian crop has grown to cover 92,100 hectares, with production increasing by nearly 90% to 568,800 tonnes.

China started importing whole frozen Malaysian durians in 2019 and fresh ones in 2024, boosting the market.

China imported 1.87 million tonnes of fresh durians worth $7.5 billion in 2025, with the volume increasing six times in the past decade.

Chinese consumers can buy durians in supermarkets and specialty shops, with some eating them weekly despite their high calorie count.

A Shanghai resident said eating durians feels like a celebration.

A worker in Beijing packs durians imported from Malaysia for delivery.

Malaysia lags behind Thailand and Vietnam in durian exports to China but is known for higher-quality durians.

Delivering quality durians requires farmers to be resilient.

As global temperatures rise, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, forcing farmers to adapt.

Peninsular Malaysia's average temperature has increased by 0.24 degrees Celsius per decade since 1969.

A farmer in Perak state said that fruit quality problems have increased with rising temperatures and that he has had to use more pesticides.

Global warming has led to the proliferation of pests and reduced the number of fruit bats, which are important pollinators.

Weather changes affect the quality of durians, especially the Musang King variety, which is sensitive to weather conditions.

Too much rain or water shortages can damage the fruit.

Some growers are using technology to improve their farming.

With expectations of record-high temperatures, farmers are advised to prepare by expanding water reservoirs or installing tube wells.

A farmer's effort is equally important as the weather in producing good fruit, and extreme weather can reduce supply and drive up prices.

Being prepared for disasters can be an opportunity for farmers.

A young grower in Penang Island learned to farm durians from his grandfather and uses sensors and instruments to track weather and pest data.

The data helps the grower intervene early and control fruit quality and quantity to match market demand.

The grower said that they live and die by the weather but can still prepare.

The grower is prepared for the challenges of farming durians.