Fruitful venture: Visitors including Singaporeans, who come by the bus loads, taking a tour around a durian orchard in Gelang Patah, Johor.
TANGKAK: The bountiful harvest of durians this season is attracting many Singaporeans, with many hiring buses to head to popular durian orchards here and in Jementah.
The one-day durian tours are so popular that up to 100 buses enter the state, especially on weekends, travelling up to three hours to these orchards.
Malaysian Tourist Guides council president Jimmy Leong said besides enjoying Musang King, Blackthorn or durian kampung in the farms, some visitors also head to the factories to see how the fruits are processed to be exported as frozen durian.
“The usual tours start as early as 7am, and the people will return home by about 10pm.
“Each tour is about S$140 (RM462) and this covers transportation, tour guide fees and a durian buffet,” he said, adding that these tours were popular among all age groups in Singapore.
He said that the month-long school holidays until the end of the month are also a boon for the tours.
He hoped that the Immigration Department, especially at the Second Link, would be able to handle the increased number of arrivals to avoid people having to wait too long.
“We’ve had issues with some people taking up to three hours to clear immigration. For the next few weeks, the checkpoints will be busy and I hope they have ample manpower to man all the counters,” he said, adding that Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s frequent visits to the two land checkpoints were a good sign that the government was serious about tackling the longstanding congestion issues.
Leong added that tourism was booming in the state, especially with more Singaporeans entering the state for sightseeing, leisure and shopping.
“Among the popular places are Johor Baru, Kluang, and Batu Pahat,” he said in an interview, where he expressed hope that the Mentri Besar would continue to champion “speedy clearance” issues at the checkpoints.
Leong said that during the recent Wesak Day (June 2) in the republic, some 285,000 people entered Malaysia.
“If Singaporeans spent a minimum of S$100 (RM330) per person for food, leisure and shopping, this would be a huge boost to the Johor economy. I am sure if border issues are resolved, more people will enter the state,” he added.
Meanwhile, Chia Chee Long, 28, who has several durian orchards statewide, said he received many Singaporean customers, especially during weekends, to his orchard in Gelang Patah.
“We have three kinds of packages, and the premium ones come with Musang King,” he said, adding that his family has been in this business for the past 20 years.
He added that each year sees about three seasons – May, July and August.
“We also allow people to go around our orchards picking durians,” he said, adding that many of the buses that come to his place first bring passengers for sightseeing before the durian buffet.
Meanwhile, Vincent Poh, 40, who has a durian factory in Muar, said that he opens up his factory for tours whenever his friends request it.
“People enjoy eating the fruits in the orchards and come to see how we process them to be exported,” he said.
Poh added that the Musang King season started last month with prices between RM35 and RM60 per kg.
