With prices as low as RM6 per kg, Lawas offers dabai fans an affordable fix

MIRI (Jan 17): If you love eating dabai and have resisted buying the fruit here because of its often hefty price tag, you might want to head to Lawas town to get the exotic fruit from as low as RM6 per kg.

A bountiful fruit season starting early this month in Lawas has seen the prices of seasonal fruit, including dabai, dropping to affordable lows.

Trader Recca Ukab from Long Tengoa in Trusan said she is selling dabai from RM8 to RM12 per kg, while others have priced the fruit at RM18 per kg.

“Depending on the quality and texture of the dabai, one can get as low as RM8 per kg. But now, because there is just too much dabai in Lawas, some traders sell theirs at RM6 per kg,” she said.

Last week, Recca and her husband decided to bring some of their dabai to Miri to earn extra income.

She revealed that they managed to sell over 80kg during the trip to Miri.

“We were selling between RM20 and RM25 per kg depending on the texture of the dabai. Furthermore, the price of dabai in Miri was between RM25 and RM35, so we matched their price,” she said.

Fellow trader Dorothy Tadam from Long Kachu in Trusan said this year they too had a bountiful dabai harvest.

For those wanting to buy in bulk, Dorothy said she sold the fruit at RM10 per kg.

A check at the Lawas weekend tamu also found an abundance of other local fruits at low prices.

Rambutans were sold at RM5 per kg, while durians were sold at between RM25 and RM40 per stack of around six to eight durians.

For langsat, the price was RM6 per kg.

With the new route via the Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Bridge, bypassing Limbang, Lawas town is now a two-hour-and-30-minute drive from Miri.

The Lawas weekend tamu operates on Fridays and Saturdays from 5am until the afternoon.