SINGAPORE: Weather conditions in the coming weeks could affect the size and quality of this year's durian supply, amid the ongoing peak harvest season between June and September.Sellers and suppliers of the thorny fruit said they are navigating an increasingly unpredictable season.Harvests from some regions in Malaysia are expected to arrive in Singapore later this month, but supply is likely to be lower than last year's bumper crop.Heavy rainfall can affect the taste and ripeness of the “King of Fruits”, according to sellers. They noted that while consumers often associate harvest quantities with prices, quality can have an even greater impact."If durian (quality) is bad, the price is going to be very cheap. It doesn't matter whether the season (yields) a lot of durians,” said Mr Jeremy Chew, founder of Royal Durian, a Musang King – or Mao Shan Wang – specialty store. The popular cultivar is prized for its bittersweet taste and creamy flesh.“Ultimately, we need to factor in the weather as well … If let's say every day (there is) heavy rain, durian quality will be very bland or unripe,” said Mr Austin Quak, who co-founded the Rolling Durian shop in Toa Payoh.Mr Quak is currently sourcing durians from Malaysia’s Perak and Penang states, saying the quality of the fruits there is more stable than in Johor and Pahang.LIVESTREAMING SALESAs sellers contend with uncertain harvest conditions, many are also changing how they reach customers.Livestreaming has become an increasingly important sales channel, allowing consumers to watch durians being opened in real time before deciding whether to place an order."Us doing online (gives us) the chance to serve multiple customers at once, compared to the traditional offline store, where you have to chat one by one,” said Mr Quak.“If we do live streaming, there's an opportunity for us to cater towards more people as compared to walk-ins.”