To point the rationale behind Musang king and Black Thorn durian trees plantation, we can begin with information of global consumption of fresh durians

The global raw durian retail market is estimated to be worth more than $14 billion annually. In terms of global durian fruit consumption, Indonesia is actually the largest durian consumer in the world, followed by Malaysia and China. While China currently accounts for 20% of global consumption, China's durian consumption is growing rapidly and could overtake Malaysia and Indonesia in the next five to ten years.

Malaysia is the largest consumer of durians per person, consuming up to 11kg per person. Although China is a major importer of durians, the per capita consumption of durians is only 0.21 kilograms per person per year.

With the gradual increase in the number of durians imported into China, the demand for durians in China is also rising rapidly. In the next 5 to 10 years, China's per capita durian consumption is likely to double at a two-year rate.

Musang King durian, also known as Musang King or D197, was once mainly grown in Malaysia. Currently, there are about 550,000 Musang King durian trees planted in Malaysia, accounting for less than 15% of the 300 million kilograms of durians produced annually in Malaysia. It is estimated that China alone needs more than 12.5 million Musang King durian trees. If Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan markets are considered, the demand for Musang King durian is even higher.

Prices for Thailand’s Musang King Durian are up to 5x more expensive than other Durian varieties across Asia due to a combination of growing demand and abnormally low levels of supply. The demand for the Musang King Durian is continuously rising while the market is facing growing and chronic supply shortages. The existing supply of Musang King Durian fruit is so low it can only meet 3% of global demand, an additional supply of Musang King Durian trees is immediately needed in order to meet rising global demand.

MSKP launched and operated durian plantation orchards mainly in different parts of Thailand to diversify the risk durian trees being destroyed or damaged by the natural disaster and to be able to produce fresh durians throughout the whole year

1. 1. Eastern Zone:  Trat, Sakaew – February until April
   2. Central Eastern Zone: Rayong, Chachoengsao, Chonburi – Febdruary until April
   3. Western Zone: Petchaburi, Pranburi and Kanchanaburi – May until July

Land Selection

• • We are able to find and buy land that is suitable with durian plantation at reasonable price. Land price is the most important factor to be used for comparison. The First step that must be taken in to survey the land. By surveying the land, we are able to check for the water resource, land scape and most importantly is the soil quality. The most suitable soil quality must have PH level between 5.5-6.5. This level of PH allows the root of durian tree to absorb the nutrient effectively from the soil. For the water resource, the PH level should be between 6.2 – 7. However, in some land the soil PH level might be acidic (PH lower than 5), this can be adjusted by applying dolomite and gypsum which will gradually increase the PH level. For the water PH, it can be adjusted by applying cow manure.

Land Development

• • Plantation Design Arrangement
  • The standard size of planting durian trees is 6x8 meters (Thai land size measurement ratio 1 rai = 1,600 square meters = 0.3953 acres)from the center of one tree to another tree to fully use the area available in plantation
  • This will be designed based on the farm layout first before submitting to the excavation team for marking points before building khoks

Excavation Team

• • For excavation team that develops the land, they are Simon’s subsidiary company and specialized in preparing land for durian plantation. The scope of the excavation includes: Clearing forest, digging pond, build waterway for drainage system, lay cement pipe, mark the bamboo stake, build khoks and build main road around the farm. Building Khok is one of their important skill. By building khoks, this allows water to be drained easily and not stuck which can cause the durian roots to get rotten.

Water system

• • Water system for durian plantation is different from other type of vegetation and farming. Durian trees requires enough amount of water for growing. Our water system designing team has specialized skill for designing water system for durian plantation which includes the specification for sprinkler head, piping for water distribution and water pump.

Professional team and skilled gardener

• • Selecting professional team and skilled gardener is one of the main company’s policy. We professional team who graduated from agricultural major and has sophisticated knowledge in chemical and soil structure analyzing skill. Together with skilled gardeners who has experience in growing durian trees since from the planting stage until promoting the flower and bearing the fruits. Our foreman must be able to cut the grass, planting young durian tree, spraying pesticide and fertilizer, repair agriculture machinery to a certain standard, mixing chemical solution and fertilizer, knowing where to buy chemical and fertilizer, pollination, able to use backhoe and tractor, know how to install cement pipe, able to use soldering machine for iron joining and fusing, effectively direct and assign tasks to the subordinates and able to report and update progress of daily task and suspicious condition of the durian tree

Sourcing suppliers for fertilizer, insecticide and plant food

• • Our fertilizer, insecticide and plant food suppliers are able to provide one stop service. Meaning that the supplier can sell, manufacture, consult and visit the land to follow up the result before and after using their products. Our supplier team will send their teams to visit the site once a month to check the health of durian trees and see whether any fertilizer product must be adjusted for the next round of fertilizer application as each durian trees might have different symptom. Therefore, different fungicide and insecticide must be used to maintain and support the growing the durian trees.

As a matter of fact, to check whether a durian trees can produce fresh durian or not, tree trunk, branches and leaves must be checked in order to prepare to prepare the trees for producing flowers. Durian trees must store enough sufficient nutrients and the size of durian trees branches must be enough to hold fresh durian trees. Normally this will approximately 6 years to grow and maintain durian trees for the first harvest.

A Musang King Durian fruit weight of between 2-3 kgs. To be conservative on the conservative side, we have used just 2 kg. in our projections. This means that your returns will be even greater when they weigh in between the expected average range of 2-3 kg.

• Average Weight Range: 2-3 kg. per fruit
  Conservative Projection: 2 kg. per fruit

Different types of durian species required different space of the bush shape to grow and expand. Our durian orchard maximizes the land plot as much as the land available to plant durian trees. In terms of industrial practice, to maximize the land use and able to produce fresh durians at the maximum level while durian trees health and gardening operation are maintainable to meet company’s standard as followed:

• Monthong durian trees are being planted at 8x8 meters = 25 durian trees can be planted in 1 rai
• Musang King durian trees are being planted at 8x6 meters = 33 durian trees can be planted in 1 rai
• Black Thorn durian trees are being planted at 8x6 meters = 33 durian trees can be planted in 1 rai

Yes, according to Office of Natural Resource and Environmental Policy and Planning, durian tree is listed in one of the 58 kinds of plant that can be applied for carbon credit. Currently, MSKP is preparing and conducting mandatory information to be used for carbon absorb credit application with Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction Program (T-VER), a Green House Gas reduction program developed by Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization.

Intercropping is planting banana and/or other short-term rotational cash crops alongside durian trees. MSKP has set up an additional business unit for intercropping such as planting bananas, aromatic coconuts, stingy beans trees and other durian trees friendly vegetables. This is done in order to provide you with additional revenue starting as early as your first full year of ownership. MSKP aims to maximize your annual revenue as much as possible, and intercropping allows company to use available land for this purpose. Also, polyculture intercropping introduces vital nitrogen to the soil which helps promote the growth of your trees.