Durian Boom Exposes Ugly Land Tussles

Durian boom exposes ugly land tussles in Malaysia’s Pahang, home of Musang King cultivar.

A clampdown on ‘illegal’ durian farmers in Pahang state shows the fraught land politics at play in the country’s increasingly lucrative Musang King industry.

The arrest of 18 farmers this month for ‘trespassing’ on land they had cultivated for decades has thrust the issue back into the spotlight.

It’s durian season again and across Asia, aficionados of the turpentine-scented delicacy have been hard at work sniffing out the best bargains.
From Hong Kong to Singapore, those with the most discerning palate – and cash to splash – often zoom in on the Mao Shan Wang or “Civet Cat King” cultivar, also called Musang King in Malaysia, where it is grown.

So prized is the Musang King’s custard-like texture and bittersweet taste that buyers in Hong Kong readily pay up to HK$400 (US$52) for a kilogram of the fruit, putting it almost in the same league as Maine lobsters in terms of price.