Increasing demand from China is said to be fuelling an uptake in durian plantings in Malaysia’s state of Kelantan, home to the Musang King durian.
After securing a trade deal for fresh, whole durian to China in 2017, Malaysia has been increasing production in a bid to capture the 1.4bn-citizen-strong market.
Before the deal in 2016 Thailand exported US$496m in durian to China, and Malaysia a mere US$18m by comparison. Fruit is reported to fetch up to US$22/kg and can be more than nine times more profitable than palm oil plantations.
Astro Awani reported the deal has created a flurry among corporations who are eager to cultivate the fruit. Gua Musang in the state of Kelantan is a region feeling the most impact as it’s the major production area for the sought-after Musang King variety.
The region’s indigenous Orang Asli people, made up of a number of smaller tribes, say they look on as their ancestral forests are cleared to make way for durian orchards. Resistance in the community has been difficult due to the lack of legal land recognition.
However, on 18 January the government stepped in when Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad filed a lawsuit against the Kelantan state government for failing to protect Orang Asli land in Gua Musang.
