National Durian Vol. 3

“Looking at the current durian trade development trends, it is clear that many local companies are gradually branding Malaysian durian varieties” The durian market in China was previously dominated by durians from Thailand, with a small percentage coming from Malaysia and Vietnam. The highest import of whole durians to China used to be from Thailand but this is not the case these days. As the Musang King variety began gaining recognition among the Chinese consumers, Malaysian durians became the talk of the town by default. Chinese Customs’ Rigorous Guidelines and Standards “Since it was announced that frozen whole durians were approved for export to China, the total export to China has increased to a slight extent,” said William. According to his data, roughly 30 to 40 containers have been shipped…

The Chinese mainly consume Thai durians, particularly the Golden Pillow variety. It is then followed by Malaysian and Vietnamese durian varieties. Although Malaysia has been exporting durians to China for some time now, it was only recently, i.e. May 2019 that we were officially permitted to export frozen whole durians. However, one has to be able to gauge the demand in the China market, logistics, costs and other issues pertaining to further improve the export of Malaysian durians. As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Durian production focus Thailand was initially the only country cleared for the export of frozen whole durians into China. Malaysia began exporting frozen durian pulp into China in 2011 and has eventually been permitted to export frozen whole durians in…

“Lai Mei Sheng: The key to harvesting 20,000 durians on a 10-acres-land is quite simple.” Also known as potash fertilizer, most durian farmers prefer using potassium fertilizer as it helps to improve the overall quality of the durian and its flavor. Other macro nutrients besides potassium fertilizer such as nitrogen and phosphorus are vital in the management of durian fertilization. These three macronutrients are also known as NPK Lai Mei Sheng, a durian farmer from Johor has a 10–acres orchard located in Sagil. Since he is also a local fertilizer, farm equipment and pesticide agent, Lai Mei Sheng has his own set of practices in durian cultivation. “There will be negative consequences if you only fertilize the trees with potash fertilizer and overlook other important agronomic aspects,” he said. “Fertilizing…

“Kang Chun Yong: Effective pest control with violet light” The durian fruit shell is thick, hard and solid, and makes it seem like is impenetrable by pests, but the fact it is not. The durian industries have been plagued by pests’ problem for a long period of time, but most of the pests will not damage the external appearance of the durian shell. Therefore, the growers will not notice the pest problem until the consumers bought it back home and open up a durian full of fruit worms with disappointment. In the past when durian price was sluggish, growers or consumers did not pay much attention to the potential production problems. Nowadays, the durian’s price is soaring, the quality of durian has become a major concern. If there is any…

“Leow: Yield Rate Drop to 2% of Less Rain Weather” Leow Cheok Kiang has repeatedly mentioned that climatic factors have a profound impact on the production of durian trees. During the durian season in June 2019, the output of his durian orchard was less than that of the past. It was a difficult period for him. According to him, this was due to continuous rain during the flowering period, resulting in a yield rate of only 2% to 3% of that of less rain weather. So, does the climate factor really affect durians’ yield? In general, the Black Thorn variety is more resistant to harsh weather compared to other durian varieties, this refers to the quality of the flesh is less affected. The flesh may not be well-ripened and there…

Newbies to durian cultivation would initially encounter challenges as the first few years could be laborious. This is because the process from planting the seedling to finally harvesting and reaping what you sow would take several years. Instead of playing the waiting game for the trees to finally bear fruits during the initial cultivation stage, it would be ideal to try their hands at intercropping. Typically, the preferred crops used for intercropping in Malaysia are bananas, jackfruits, papayas, mangosteens, rambutans etc., as there is a high demand for these fruits in the local market. On the contrary, avocados would never cross one’s mind due to its lack of taste and its low demand in the Malaysian market. Avocado farmer, Too Yip Wee (YW Too) believes that many elderly people are…