At just 22, Dickson is managing a durian legacy older than he is

Some of the durian trees Dickson Tai cares for have been standing in his family orchard longer than he has been alive.

At 22, the Jasin-born entrepreneur is the third generation tending a 5.6-ha orchard in Tiang Dua, established by his grandfather over three decades ago and later managed by his father.

For Tai, the trees are more than crops: they form part of a family history he has grown up watching at close range.

“When my grandfather first established the orchard, he perhaps never imagined that 35 years later, those same trees would be cared for by the third generation,” he told Bernama.

Tai began learning the work as a child, following his grandfather and father around the orchard before gradually taking on more responsibilities himself.

That early familiarity has grown into a detailed understanding of the different varieties on the land and the care each tree needs, especially when disease threatens the roots or fruit quality begins to suffer.

Not every durian tree demands the same level of attention. Tai said more common varieties such as durian kahwin are generally easier to manage, with support nets often sufficient during the fruiting season.

Premium varieties such as Musang King and Black Thorn, however, require far closer monitoring.

“I take care of them like babies,” he said. “Every day, I talk to the durian trees and tell them stories.”

Behind the humour is a demanding routine shaped by weather, disease, fruit quality and market conditions. During peak season, the orchard’s morning harvest alone can reach almost one tonne, depending on how well the trees are fruiting.

Its location near oil palm plantations brings other challenges too, with wildlife and trespassers becoming a greater concern once the smell of ripe durians begins to spread through the area.

Tai admitted that the responsibility can sometimes feel overwhelming, particularly because he sees himself as the latest link in something his grandfather began decades ago.

“There are times when it feels quite overwhelming, but when I think about it, my grandfather started it, my father continued it, and now that responsibility has been passed on to me,” he said.

Taking the orchard beyond the farm

While the older generations concentrated largely on growing and selling fruit, Tai has begun expanding the business beyond the orchard itself.

The family now handles wholesaling and exports, including durians supplied by other growers around Melaka.

“In the past, we focused only on the trees and fruit,” he said. “Now, we have also expanded into wholesaling and exports. Farmers from Melaka send their fruit to us, and from there, we handle the wholesale and export operations.”

Durians from the family orchard and other Melaka farms are now shipped to markets including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia and Macau.

According to Tai, air shipments can reach Hong Kong in about 12 hours and China in roughly 18, helping the fruit arrive quickly enough for overseas buyers.

He also hopes to introduce more of Melaka’s lesser-known durian varieties to international customers, particularly D103, known as Mimpi Cinta, and D2, or Datuk Nina.

For Tai, expanding overseas does not mean leaving the old orchard behind. The business may now stretch far beyond Tiang Dua, but at its foundation remains the same trees he watched his grandfather and father care for when he was a boy.

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