General view of Royal Pahang Durian Group logo August 21, 2020. A spokesman from the group explained the legalisation scheme would ultimately lead to a win-win situation between the growers, state and industry. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
“They will start growing the durian trees first, and only when the authorities start going after them, then they start scrambling to register their plots, and they are on state land and forestry land,” said the spokesman, referring to land gazetted as forest reserves. Then, in June, the Pahang state government awarded RPDP-PKPP the lease and rights to 5,357 acres of land in Raub for 30 plus 30 years, of which up to 30 per cent RPDG alleges have been encroached.
Musang King durian farmers alleged they are being pressed into signing an exploitative contract that would require them to pay ‘rent’ of RM6,000 per acre for this year. ― Picture courtesy of Save Musang King Alliance “Should this continue to exist under current conditions, the bleak future of having the national durian industry fall into unregulated foreign control to the long-term detriment of local players could indeed be a reality.
The spokesman then explained that from the RM40, RM10 will be used to cover annual processing, surveying and maintenance fees, and only applies to the first 2,000kg of Grade A Musang King produced per acre annually. “With this system, there is transparency because we buy the durians from these farmers at a cost that everyone knows. There is no shifting of prices here and there.
“Also, we are not trying to take over their farms. They still maintain 100 per cent ownership of everything they own, just with some added commercial agreements.