Category: D24 Winner: Sime Darby Planters’ Haven West
In 1997, Sime Darby Property started selling one-acre (0.4ha) plots of land – part of a sprawling 264 acres (107ha) of pristine green called Planters’ Haven in Nilai – to interested members of the public. On most of these plots, D24 durian trees were planted. Fast forward over 20 years later and the 1,000 durian trees have matured.
“For the last season, we had about 6,000 fruits from the farms. But we don’t sell the fruits commercially, we give them to customers who come to our farm to enjoy, because we are selling the land, not the fruits,” says Mohamad Jalani, head of business unit 3 at Sime Darby Property.
D24 is widely available in Malaysia and is prized for its creamy flesh. The fruit is often incorporated into local desserts – McDonald’s Malaysia even introduced a D24 McFlurry!
The farm’s D24 is divine – one of those heavenly plump durian fruits with a rich aroma and flesh that is hedonistically creamy and sweet without being cloying.
Jalani and his team were propelled to enter the competition because they wanted to encourage more people to visit their farm. “Malaysians only eat durians; they don’t know anything about the trees. That’s why we joined this competition to promote our farm, as it’s not that far from KL,” he says.
As the trees have now reached their second decade, Jalani says the fruits are simply going to get better.
“The taste is getting better and better every year because the trees have matured. Every time we bring people to our farm, they say this is the best durian they’ve tasted,” he says.
Nilai Impian Gallery (transportation will be provided from here to the farm)
No 1, Persiaran Nilai Impian 3
71800 Nilai Impian
Negri Sembilan
Tel: 06-794 8383
To visit the farm, advance appointment is essential.