Category: open Winner: Mohd Zarir Khalil of Dusun Damai for D13 durian

The soft-spoken Mohd Zarir Khalil is a keen farm owner who comes from a family invested in agriculture – his father is also a farmer. His little five-acre (2ha) orchard in Johor is over 25 years old and has 86 durian trees, as well as rambutan, pulasan and dokong. He grows durian varietals like 101, D13, udang merah and also kampung durians.

Unlike many of his competitors, Zarir is literally a one-man show. “I only have two workers helping me – I think I couldn’t handle the work if I had a big farm,” he says.

The D13 originates from Johor and has a less intense taste than some of its heavyweight counterparts. Zarir’s award-winning D13 is a delight – it is much lighter in texture and flavour than many of the other winners, which means you can easily polish off more fruits in one go.

Recently, Zarir decided to take on a much bigger challenge: investing in a six-acre plot that was previously an oil palm plantation, which he is slowly converting into a Musang King farm. “I wanted to try planting from saplings until they bear fruit, because I love to see the process,” he says.

Zarir intends to continue to keep a low profile despite having one of the best durians in the country, as he says he entered the competition simply to see where his durians stood.

“I just wanted to know the level of my fruit, if it is so-so or good,” he says humbly.

Dusun Damai

PRA 13 Parit Raja Ahmad Parit Sulong

Batu Pahat

Johor

Tel: 012-317 7411

To visit the farm, two-day advance appointment is essential.

Zarir only has 86 durian trees on his orchard but he emerged victorious in the open category. He is now in the midst of converting a six-acre former oil palm plantation into a Musang King farm.