National Durian Vol. 30

The main durian variety that is exported by the Philippines is Puyat, followed by Duyaya and 101. The Philippines has a strong drive to export durians. This is evident in the ambitious goal of Davao Region exporters to supply 100 metric tons of durians daily. In other words, 4 to 5 containers full of durians are exported abroad every day. “Of course, our main export country is China.” said John Tan, the head of Eng Seng Food Products, an operating company based in Davao City. In order to comply with the standards, he insisted that the durians exported would only be Grade - A fruits. “As for the others, they are sold to the local market or processed,” he said. According to John Tan, Philippine durians are categorized into four…

DUYAYA The origin: Registered with the FAO-NSIC (National Seed Industry Council) in 1999, the Duyaya durian made Severino a local legend. It’s one of the fleshiest durians in the world. It’s a seedling of Monthong, although who knows what it’s crossed with. That deep, orangey color certainly isn’t a characteristic of Monthong. The first thing you notice eating Duyaya is that its “HEART SHAPED” fruits. The pulp is so large and meaty that your fingers plunge into a solid inch of cream before finding hold on the seed. When fully ripe, Duyaya is so soft and succulent that eating it is a mess affair. Bring a spoon, or be willing to lick your fingers. It’s not too sweet but not too oniony, with a nice subtle bitterness, like a light…

In order to be outstanding at exporting fresh durians to China, early harvesting of durians just like Thailand has become the key. In view of this, the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) has come up with a schedule for harvesting durians early as a reference for Malaysian farmers. MARDI's guidelines provides a recommended early harvesting period in terms of number of days. Farmers can calculate these number of days beginning from flowering to fruiting. Generally, it takes 90 to 150 days after flowering for the fruit to be fully ripe. However, the number of days depends on the durian variety. The following guideline uses D24 and D197 durian varieties as examples for reference: In addition, there is also a harvesting standard, which is, about one week after the…

What are the benefits of organic fertiliser towards durians? I believe this is a question that runs on many farmers’ minds. Let’s take a look at the experience of Tan Cheng Long, a durian farmer from Kemayan, Negeri Sembilan. Tan Cheng Long’s orchard which is only about 5 acres, has most of the durian varieties such as Musang King, seven Tekka trees and six D198 trees. These are all matured trees which are more than 20 years old. There are also some Blackthorn trees which are only 7 to 8 years old. UNPREDICTABLE CLIMATE IN 2023 In December 2023, the Tan Cheng Long’s orchard continuously produced durians. It was actually the fourth harvest of the year. “The climate in 2023 was extremely strange, and completely different from the past years.…

CARBON CREDIT is a way to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. ONE CARBON CREDIT UNIT is equivalent to reducing one metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Durian cultivation requires large amounts of organic matter, especially during the growth period and after harvesting where ample organic fertilizer is needed to maintain healthy growth. As organic farming gradually getting attention, we often hear several terms related to organic: organic material, organic matter, and organic carbon. They sound similar, but are they really the same? How can we differentiate them? ORGANIC MATERIAL Organic material refers to substances derived from living organisms or composed of carbon-based compounds. These materials encompass a wide range of substances, including plants, animals, microorganisms, and their by-products. Examples of organic materials include manure, agricultural waste,…