Durian, the thorny king of fruits, is beginning to earn big bucks for the country, with last year’s production value topping RM5bil. No wonder more people are venturing into the durian business.
Demand from China since the middle of last year has driven both smallholders and large companies to take a second look at expanding or acquiring more land bank to cultivate this fruit. New players are also emerging.
There are over 200 varieties of this fruit, more than what Thailand has. Apart from the famous and pricey Musang King, the other favourites are IOI, D24, Black Thorn, and Red Prawn.