OIL PALM OR DDURIAN TO CHOOSE

BETWEEN OIL PALM AND DURIAN TREE which one to choose for new replanting that more favourable. Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is still the most efficient oil crop in the world in terms of yield per hectare. Yet many smallholders contemplate the overdue replanting of old trees, some oil palm estates may well become Musang King durian plantations (Durio zibethinus) because this particular species of durian is commanding astronomical prices in China. For many may know that if choose oil palm in which replaced rubber trees as the dominant crop in Malaysia proven helped alleviate poverty among many smallholders but the Musang King holds the promise of new wealth provided if prices hold up. From my observation many farmers with one hectare of Musang King trees can yield RM155,250 a year and it was nearly nine times the RM17,500 a year harvest from a hectare of oil palm. It was confirmed by Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry and told reporters after planting one of 600 Musang King trees on a 6ha pioneer plot at the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) in Kemaman, Terengganu. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology" reports from local media comments for farmers to either choose oil palm or durian in replanting scheme at FELDA.

The planning to replanting oil palm at FELDA Kerteh 6, FELDA Neram 2, FELDA Cerul and FELDA Seberang Tayor will also have durian projects to diversified their income. While critics dismiss the move as one that “takes care of the FELDA vote bank”, other industry observers acknowledge the burgeoning market for Musang King as the “king of the king of fruits”.  Many small growers are now talking about it. In fact in a large plantation in north Johor is planning to plant 10ha of durian of different species. Well, everyone is betting on continuous demand from China. But is it economically sustainable if supply increases? in a comment from oil palm industry veteran M R Chandran tells The Edge. The major risk factors he anticipate here is that if everyone jumps on the bandwagon and switches to durians on a large scale raise a question of is there sufficient availability of high-yielding hybrid varieties?. In relating how when oil palm cultivation expanded rapidly in the 1970s and 1980s in Malaysia whereby there are many oil palm smallholders only found out 36 months later that the planting material they had sourced were contaminated and were not the high-yielding hybrid they thought they had purchased. If farmers are embarking on planting durians on a big scale, they will need government assistance therefore from the supply of proven good-quality planting materials to marketing of the produce. This would mean some sort of regulations will need to be put in place to ensure the economic sustainability of the king of fruits. The durian trees in which can produce for more years than palm oil trees if they are properly cared for and provide an alternative for Malaysian planters looking at replanting old palm trees. The hilly areas with above 20° slopes, for instance can be more suitable for durian versus oil palm.

In the case of burgeoning China market, the RM155,250 annual income from one hectare of Musang King cited by minister is based on the price of RM25 per kg. Prices of top-quality durian could exceed RM100 per kg in which bodes well for Malaysia’s target of exporting RM92 million worth of the fruit to China by 2020. It supplied RM23 million worth of durian last year. China imported 612,063 tonnes or US$1.1 billion worth of fresh durian in 2016, according to the United Nations’ commodity trade statistics. Prices have also able to increased faster than volume. The value of China’s fresh durian imports grew an average 26.2% a year in the past decade, double the 12.8% 10-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) that import volumes grew at between 2006 and 2016. It is little wonder when durian is also being used to flavour cookies, coffee and even crepes and pizza in the republic. That is on top of the usual cream puffs, tarts and ice cream. Enterprising orchard owners here are benefiting from tourists who salivate over the creamy flesh of the fruit. However, Thailand is still by far the world’s leading exporter of durian. Some US$1.094 billion, or 99.59%, of China’s US$1.1 billion fresh durian purchase in 2016 were from Thailand. In terms of volume, Thailand supplied 99.89% or 611,380 tonnes of durian to China that year. Malaysia’s market share is very small but its durian sells for more money. As it can only sell frozen or processed durian directly to China with fresh fruits have to go through Hong Kong or Thailand, unless special permission is granted for the country sold 542 tonnes for US$4.34 million or about US$8 per kg in 2016. The 611,380 tonnes that Thailand sold to China for US$1.094 billion means that the Chinese paid US$1.79 per kg, back-of-the-envelope calculations show.

As a temperamental plant unlike oil palm trees in which produces a uniform product, although yields can increase with better management, better soil conditions and favourable weather conditions for durian trees are deemed as “temperamental”. Even a 50m difference on the same plot of land can produce different quality durian as a seasoned oil palm planter says. Another local planter concurs.  The yields can be inconsistent, even within the same durian orchard. It’s not just the quality, but the taste, even if you plant the same hybrid. Expert pointing out why durian from places such as Raub, Bentong, Batu Kurau or Penang island taste better. In other case, Indonesia also has durian in which area Medan at Sumatra has good soil too. However the taste of the durian in Indonesia is different in which many prefer Malaysian durian as hopefully the [mainland] Chinese do too. However it was only as personal preference. For me sees durian as more of a crop for smallholders previously in which many of whom have done well growing and exporting all kinds of fruits, vegetables and cut flowers on top of the king of fruits. But recently few oil palm estates grow durian in small portion of replacing oil palm in Johor, Perak and Pahang. However farmers need a word of caution for those looking to profit from the durian boom: The case of “Freezing technology [to make the fruit last longer] has been around for a while and it is not impossible to make an industry out of durian but there is no guarantee prices will stay where they are when more supply comes in. Nowadays Thailand is a big grower [of durian] and there is also there is no stopping China, Vietnam, Myanmar or even Indonesia from growing durians too. The success of Vietnam in growing coffee beans as a best example of the commodity. More competition could come with the advances made in irrigation technology and biotechnology in which will help certain countries become more successful in the industrial farming of non-native fruits. Who would have thought that Australia would be a major producer of tropical fruits like mango, bananas and papaya [and] a dry land like Israel could produce beautiful crops and the unique things that Australia is already producing durian.  Last year a team of durian-loving scientists from Singapore sequenced the Musang King genome. In researching the durian’s strong distinctive smell as they traced the fruit’s lineage back 65 million years to a common ancestor with the cocoa plant. This might well pave the way for the creation of new durian species that are drought-resistant or have lower-sugar content. This [durian price boom] is an opportunity and even for some plantation companies but Malaysia must get it right planning for future. Malaysia must make sure we can maintain leadership in commodity in which we have lost in cocoa, rubber and oil palm from other country. Thanks!...

By,

M Anem,

Senior Agronomist,

Putrajaya, 

Malaysia.

(December 2020).