HUNGER FOR DURIAN - DEFORESTTATION?

DURIAN (Durio zibethinus) are the most popular seasonal fruit grown in Malaysia since there are very good demand from China. However the Malay Mail portal in their article titled 'Chinese hunger for durians threatens Malaysian forests' are here for discussion during pandemic covid19 occurrence in the world. Photo above showing a worker for a non-governmental organisation walking in a durian plantation in Raub, Pahang as published on February 2019 recently.  The soaring demand for durians in China is being blamed for a new wave of some deforestation in Malaysia with environmentalists warning vast amounts of jungle is being cleared to make way for massive plantations of the spiky, pungent fruit. Grown across tropical Southeast Asia, the durian is hailed as the “king of fruits” by fans, who liken its creamy texture and intense aroma to blue cheese. But detractors say durians stink of sewage and stale vomit. The strong smell means many hotels across the region have banned guests from bringing them to rooms, while Singapore does not allow the fruit on its subway system.  Nevertheless, they are a hit in China, and the increase in demand has prompted exporters to vye for a bigger share of the burgeoning market. This blog "Anim Agriculture Technology" able to rewrite and share about the above news.

Growers in Malaysia are increasingly shifting from small orchards to industrial-scale operations as a new trend that environmentalists warn presents a new threat to rainforests already challenged by loggers and palm oil plantations. Right now durians are gaining a lot of attention from the Chinese market as said by Sophine Tann from environmental protection group Peka in which has studied land clearances to make way for the fruit. This deforestation for planting of durians is in preparation to meet that demand. In the jungle-clad district of Raub, Pahang in central Malaysia, swathes of rainforest have recently been chopped down to make way for a new plantation with durian seedlings protected by netting planted across bare hillsides. The plantation is next to an area of protected forest, which is home to a kaleidescope of animals from monkeys to exotic birds. A river, now murky and filled with trunks and branches from logging that runs close by. A sign outside the plantation said it was run by Ample Harvest Produce but company staff refused to comment when contacted about the loss of trees in the area. Peka said the land’s status was changed by the local government to allow logging, but local authorities did not respond to requests for comment. Wang Tao, a durian eatery owner, looking on as a row of the exotic fruit line a countertop at his stall in Beijing January 18, 2019.

In a Beijing mall some 4,000 kilometres away in a stall named “Little Fruit Captain” is doing a brisk trade selling Malaysian durians. Shop manager Wang Tao said his customers “fall in love” with durians from Malaysia due to their particularly sweet taste, often preferring them to those from rival exporters , such as Thailand (See photo above). He imports frozen durians from a facility in Malaysia and sells them in plastic containers or in other forms a kind of baked dessert, in ice cream or fried up as crisps. Customers are kept up to date about the shop’s stock via the WeChat messaging app. He at first tried durian as a child and acquired a taste for it as said by a university student Liu Zelun who visits the shop once a week for her durian fix. Thai durians have a stronger flavour and you tend to get sick of it after a while but not the ones that I buy from here the duriann from Malaysia. The most popular variety and one of the most expensive known as is Musang King and it was known for its thick and golden flesh. A single Musang King durian was on sale at the Beijing stall for 800 yuan (US$120) that was several times more expensive than in Malaysia. Their customers aren’t concerned about the prices and they just want the best durian as claimed by Wang. Workers carry durians at a farm in Karak July 24, 2018. At the similar time, the prices if palm oil down but the durian prices always up. With the price of key Malaysian export palm oil, used in everyday goods around the world from soap to margarine, in a seemingly inexorable decline, farmers are increasingly turning to durians. The government has backed the expansion of the industry, hoping to cash in on growing demand from the world’s second-biggest economy. The value of durian shipments from Malaysia to China in the first eight months of 2018 hit RM7.4 million, more than double the value in the same period of 2017, according to the agriculture ministry in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia hopes a deal struck in August to pave the way for the export of whole, frozen durians to China will boost shipments, and are aiming to more than double production to 443,000 tonnes by 2030. Previously, Malaysian durians could only be shipped to China in pulp and paste form. Despite the looming production boom, the agriculture ministry insisted plantations will expand slowly and said it was encouraging growers to use existing orchards and revive unproductive trees. Deforestation for new areas is not encouraged as claimed by Agriculture Minister in a statement, adding that if trees were logged for plantations with a strict environmental rules must be followed. In the northeastern state of Kelantan, tribespeople last year set up blockades to stop a company from logging their ancestral lands to set up a Musang King plantation. The central government has taken up their cause, suing the state government for failing to uphold their land rights. But environmentalists warn the overall picture is bleak. Durian cultivation is “driving yet more deforestation and biodiversity loss in Malaysia,” said environmental group Rimba, warning it was leading to “destruction of critical habitat for wide-ranging animals such as tigers, elephants, primates, and hornbills. Source: AFP. Thanks....!

By,

M Anem,

Putrajaya,

Malaysia.

(March 2021).