Durian Farming

[darbyman]

If there are any members directly involved in Durian farming I would be pleased to hear from them. Cheers

[treetops]

You might want to ask a mod to move this to the farming section if it doesn't get much joy here.

 

https://aseannow.com/forum/104-farming-in-thailand-forum/

 

[PoorSucker]

Moved to to the Farm.

[farmerjo]

Hi darbyman

 

In my area west of Khon Kaen i haven't seen any Durian farms,a few friends have planted a couple of trees to see how they go.

I found this article with a few figures in it.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264979282_Adoption_of_Good_Agricultural_Practices_by_Durian_Farmers_in_Koh_Samui_District_Surat_Thani_Province_Thailand

 

I presume you've made the move here now and enjoying it.

A few years a go you were asking about a harvester,may i ask how you got on?

 

[darbyman]

9 hours ago, farmerjo said:

Hi darbyman

 

In my area west of Khon Kaen i haven't seen any Durian farms,a few friends have planted a couple of trees to see how they go.

I found this article with a few figures in it.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264979282_Adoption_of_Good_Agricultural_Practices_by_Durian_Farmers_in_Koh_Samui_District_Surat_Thani_Province_Thailand

 

I presume you've made the move here now and enjoying it.

A few years a go you were asking about a harvester,may i ask how you got on?

 

Hi Farmerjo,

No, still not made the move ! Covid and work prevents. Wont even be visiting until they make it a bit easier. Anyway, we DIDN'T get the harvester after all that. Dad wanted to use it on his own land and rent it out to other farmers. Frankly I couldn't see any profit in it without too much hassle.

We've been offered a parcel of land ideal for durian trees and I'm looking for ideas.

[vinci]

you can make tons of money with Durian farm, in the US one can buy a durian import from either Malaysia or Thailand it cost $150usd for one durian, but nvm shipping abroad just for local they sell them super high, the problem of grown durian farm is it take too long for the tree to grow, you're taking years plus plus to even have fruit

[darbyman]

1 hour ago, vinci said:

you can make tons of money with Durian farm, in the US one can buy a durian import from either Malaysia or Thailand it cost $150usd for one durian, but nvm shipping abroad just for local they sell them super high, the problem of grown durian farm is it take too long for the tree to grow, you're taking years plus plus to even have fruit

Yes, I've done quite a bit of research into the costing. For example, the first fruiting usually takes at least 4 years from time of planting a grafted tree and even then in small quantity. The real profit shows after some 5 to 6 years, maybe even 7 years in worst case. I guess $150 in US would be about right in view of the shipping but it depends upon which type of Durian it is. Wholesale price this year was about 100 baht per kilo for Monthong. However, what puts the average farmer off is the initial capital cost together with the 4 to 5 years of maintenance.  My current opinion is that if you have the funds it looks to be a good investment PROVIDED THE MARKET ISN'T SWAMPED IN 5 YEARS TIME! Farmerjo put me on to a useful article but it dates back to 2012 when wholesale prices were about 30 to 40 baht per kilo.

 

[MambaJamba]

I planted around 30 durian trees few months ago in Surin. I would plant more, but does not have automatic irrigation yet. I water them manually every day since rain season ended, no need to go gym anymore and have a lot of fun gardening. 

The best performers are trees planted from seeds directly into soil. trees i planted from seeds but in pots first doing good but slightly behind. I also bought some trees from local markets, they made them from cutting branches. These trees are doing not as good as seedlings. Seedlings especially Kanyao are doing great they grow on full sun without shading and have no issues. Cuttings from market have sun burns from time to time. Also i did not see noticeable grow on cuttings yet.

From my short experience Kanyao durians grow faster and have better survivability than Montong.

[MambaJamba]

On 10/28/2021 at 9:07 PM, darbyman said:

Yes, I've done quite a bit of research into the costing. For example, the first fruiting usually takes at least 4 years from time of planting a grafted tree and even then in small quantity. The real profit shows after some 5 to 6 years, maybe even 7 years in worst case. I guess $150 in US would be about right in view of the shipping but it depends upon which type of Durian it is. Wholesale price this year was about 100 baht per kilo for Monthong. However, what puts the average farmer off is the initial capital cost together with the 4 to 5 years of maintenance.  My current opinion is that if you have the funds it looks to be a good investment PROVIDED THE MARKET ISN'T SWAMPED IN 5 YEARS TIME! Farmerjo put me on to a useful article but it dates back to 2012 when wholesale prices were about 30 to 40 baht per kilo.

 

Land suitable for durian cultivation is very expensive. I started to grow durian on rice field. This is the cheapest option. Buriram, Surin, Si sa ket have a lot of cheap rice fields avaiable for sale. However you need to invest on ground work to convert rice field to orchard. Need to dig a pond to take soil from it and put around making place to grow durians about 50cm higher than rice field.,  two pumps with solar cells also needed.  One pump to take water from whole into pond and another to take  water from pond to irrigate durians.

[darbyman]

On 11/26/2021 at 3:03 PM, MambaJamba said:

Land suitable for durian cultivation is very expensive. I started to grow durian on rice field. This is the cheapest option. Buriram, Surin, Si sa ket have a lot of cheap rice fields avaiable for sale. However you need to invest on ground work to convert rice field to orchard. Need to dig a pond to take soil from it and put around making place to grow durians about 50cm higher than rice field.,  two pumps with solar cells also needed.  One pump to take water from whole into pond and another to take  water from pond to irrigate durians.

Sorry for delay in responding. Our land is mountainous and excellent growing soil. So far planted 700 trees from grafted plants at various stages of growth, Only lost 20 so far so bodes well. Expecting to plant another  800 about May or June. Got lakes and pumping up to tanks using petrol pumps but have seriously considered solar. Maybe you can recommend?

[djayz]

The problem is, nowadays every Tom, Dick and Harry is jumping on the durian bandwagon in the hope of making a fortune in the future (nothing wrong with that). But, like so many other times in the past (I vaguely remember the lime trend only a few years ago), the market is then swamped with produce and growers/farmers struggle to make a decent living. 

[darbyman]

On 1/4/2022 at 10:11 AM, djayz said:

The problem is, nowadays every Tom, Dick and Harry is jumping on the durian bandwagon in the hope of making a fortune in the future (nothing wrong with that). But, like so many other times in the past (I vaguely remember the lime trend only a few years ago), the market is then swamped with produce and growers/farmers struggle to make a decent living. 

This, of course, is what I worry about as stated earlier. Malaysia now has a foot in the Chinese market with their Durian as well.  But, like any business venture, there is always a risk. It's a matter of keeping an eye on the production costs and pray for sunny days to come. The pandemic is also a worry. China has only just opened its doors for our fruit. Hoping this will all be cleared up before 5 years when we start harvesting.

[tso310]

We know someone to the southwest of Ban Kruat in southern Buriram in hills near the Cambodian border who grows Durian and Lam Yai. Its actually quite cool there and irrigation has had to be put in. Very good yields are had. The main problem is that a lot of that land is Sor Kor Nung (1) or so I was told.

[spidermike007]

On 1/4/2022 at 5:11 PM, djayz said:

The problem is, nowadays every Tom, Dick and Harry is jumping on the durian bandwagon in the hope of making a fortune in the future (nothing wrong with that). But, like so many other times in the past (I vaguely remember the lime trend only a few years ago), the market is then swamped with produce and growers/farmers struggle to make a decent living. 

I doubt that. Durian demand is soaring in China as well as many other places, and there is a huge market here. It is a very solid long term investment, especially if you are in an area with alot of rain, or are willing to invest in a good irrigation system. They require alot of water. 

[darbyman]

9 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I doubt that. Durian demand is soaring in China as well as many other places, and there is a huge market here. It is a very solid long term investment, especially if you are in an area with alot of rain, or are willing to invest in a good irrigation system. They require alot of water. 

Yes water can be both a blessing AND a curse. Durian hates flooding. We are fortunate being in the mountains so flooding not a problem. A good irrigation system essential. I agree (and hope) that the Chinese market is likely to grow.

[loris]

Have a lead on some land (full chanote) - mountain slope, lots of rain, saplings in the ground about 1 year.. curious what your experience has been and what are some expectations of  profit down the road (5-7) years from now per rai.  Trying to decide what the return on investment would be, given all the expenses of fertilizer, water, and maintenance of the trees.  Thanks. 

[darbyman]

21 hours ago, loris said:

Have a lead on some land (full chanote) - mountain slope, lots of rain, saplings in the ground about 1 year.. curious what your experience has been and what are some expectations of  profit down the road (5-7) years from now per rai.  Trying to decide what the return on investment would be, given all the expenses of fertilizer, water, and maintenance of the trees.  Thanks. 

Our trees are grafted and only been in the ground for 5 months so it hasn't been possible to get an accurate cost of maintenance, but I think the highest cost will be labour which, in my case for the time being, is mostly free! (in-laws). More labour will be required in the future when it comes to keeping the undergrowth down and pruning. Once the trees are mature, say 7 to 8 years, I anticipate minimum of 10,000 baht average. Take a look at "lowbrow Thailand" on YouTube, There is a wealth of information there.