THIS is how much normally cost-conscious Singaporeans love their durians - they are still snapping them up even though prices of the king of fruit have spiked dramatically.

Over the past few months, prices have as much as doubled. Yet business everywhere from Geylang to Upper Serangoon is still brisk.

'People who love their durians will still buy, no matter what the price is,' says Mr Goh Kwee Leng, 55, owner of 717 Trading durian shop in Yio Chu Kang Road.

At his shop, prices for the high-grade D24 variety jumped from $2 to $6 per kg last year to the current $3.50 to $10 per kg.

Many other stalls sell the same variety for even more, at up to $12 per kg.

Prices for mau shan wang, the flavour of the moment that has dethroned D24, range between $12 and $15 per kg, compared to $8 to $10 previously.

So what's behind the price jump? Well, up to 90 per cent of Singapore's durian supply comes from Malaysia, with the rest from Thailand and Indonesia.

Malaysia's supply tumbled by 30 per cent this year, causing prices to jump.

The supply squeeze follows the cutting down of durian trees by many Malaysian growers.

Over the past two years, Malaysian plantations had reaped a near phenomenal bumper harvest, causing prices here to dive to as low as 50 cents for a small D24 durian.

The owner of Wonderful Fruit Enterprise in Sims Avenue, Mr Ng Chin Kiat, 38, says: 'Last year, prices were so low that when the durians fell to the ground, farmers didn't even bother picking them up.'

To stem their losses, growers switched to growing other crops, like rubber, oil palm and cocoa.

Showing how the supply has been shrinking, Singapore imported 20,700 tonnes of durians from Malaysia last year, down from 26,300 tonnes in 2004, according to figures from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority.

It gets worse. Now, reports say that Johor, the biggest producer of durians in Malaysia, is expected to yield 7,000 tonnes this year, a far cry from the 23,000 tonnes last year.

But things might look up.

Singapore fruit sellers say prices might dip next month, as the Malaysian durian season hits its peak and feeds the market with more supply.

Despite such yo-yo price movements, competition in Sims Avenue - which has a boisterous congregation of more than 10 durian stalls - is keen but not cut-throat.

'There are a few quibbles here and there, but every stall has its own regulars,' says Mr Chia You Chee, 35, owner of Metro Trading.

'There are enough durian-lovers in Singapore to keep all of us happy,' he adds.

Unlike in the past, durians are now available in Singapore all year round, thanks to the fact that the fruit ripens at different times across Malaysia.

Most arrive in Singapore just half a day after they fall off the trees at dawn.

In recent years, new species with bizarre names like 'red prawn', 'green bamboo' and 'golden phoenix' have emerged.

These names were given by the plantations that grew the species, mostly according to the distinctive shape or colour of the durian.

Those with the D-prefix, like D1, D2, D13 and D24, were given by the Malaysian Agriculture Department when they were registered.

The numbers are given in chronological order, meaning that D2 was classified earlier than D24.