| Championing the ‘Queen of Fruits’ |
| UPDATE : 18 May 2010 |
Staff Writer
Bangkok’s neighboring province of Nonthaburi has long been known for its durian orchards, which produce high quality fruit. But since the late 1990s, a growing number of local landowners have given into the temptation to sell their land to real estate developers.
Preservation Efforts
Despite this trend, a handful of local growers continue to cultivate the fruit and make a living through their efforts.
Seventy-two-year-old Sawai Tassaneeyavej heads the Nonthaburi Durian Fruit Preservation Group, as well as farming 20 rai (3.2 hectares) of orchards in the Bangraknoi sub-district of Nonthaburi’s Muang district.
Sawai says that over the past decade, supplies of durian in the market have declined markedly. The planting area was hit particularly hard following the heavy floods of 1995, which destroyed most of the area’s fruit trees, forcing many landowners to sell their land to developers.
Sawai’s orchards only survived through her considerable efforts, which included spending days and nights draining off the flood water.
Reservation Process
To ensure they get the finest fruit, many durian lovers have sought to establish direct contact with growers in order that they can reserve a particularly excellent specimen. Once the fruit is fully mature and ripe for picking, the customer can then pick them up from the orchard.
“All the top quality fruit is usually reserved and still growing [on the trees],” says Sawai with a smile.
The fruit from a durian can best be described as having a succulent, sweet taste and creamy texture, which has won it the informal title of ‘the king of fruits’ in Southeast Asia.
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Distinctive Aroma
While fans of the fruit may be overjoyed by getting a whiff of durian’s distinctive smell, others consider it to be rather disagreeable. This has led to the fruit being banned by public transport service operators and in public buildings.
Monthong (‘golden pillow’) and kanyao (‘long pedicle’) are the two best known durian varieties and these descriptive names refer to their physical appearance. The price of an individual fruit is determined by the quality in terms of its shape and the texture of the peel.
The price of monthong ranges from about 1,000-3,000 baht per (whole) fruit, while kanyao can fetch between 3,000-5,000 baht per fruit. The creamy filling of a kanyao durian is very delicate and smooth, while the smell is not as strong as a monthong durian. Other varieties, such as kob, thongyoi, kampan and kradoom also produce a favorable taste, although this will depend to a large degree on an individual’s personal preferences.
Sawai says she gained most of her horticultural knowledge and experience by watching and helping her parents as a child. But she’s still more than happy to try out new techniques in order to add to the allure of her fruit. One technique that certainly proved to be beneficial is the use of bamboo canes to support each branch bearing fruit in order to prevent damage caused by the additional weight and to help ensure that nutrition for the plant can flow more freely along the branches.
“I’m proud that my orchard produces such high quality fruit,” Sawai says.
Spreading The Word
Sawai shares her experience with 100 other gardeners who form the membership of the Nonthaburi Durian Preservation Group.
Some other members of the group also lost all their plants during the heavy floods during the 1990s, so have since turned to new plants that are now producing fruit. The provincial authorities organize an annual durian fair. This takes place during early May as a way of marking a new growing season, which is scheduled to end late next month (June 2010).
Final Product
People interested in purchasing high quality durian from Bangraknoi subdistrict can do so by traveling there by car via Phra Nungklao Bridge.
For further information, contact Nonthaburi Provincial Agricultural Office on Tel: +66 (0)2 591 4910.
Raising Awareness
Sawai’s orchards are used as a learning center for the province. Visitors to the center can learn more about Sawai’s growing techniques and about the ecological system in her orchards. Sawai can be reached by phone on Tel: +66 (0)2 903 5766. |
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