Agroforestry Group (AFG) is excited to officially announce the launch of its new Black Thorn durian venture in Malaysia. Black Thorn durian, is a relatively new Malaysian durian variety that has become one of the most sought after within Malaysia and Singapore, with local prices even surpassing Musang King durian.
Agroforestry Group's Black Thorn plantation is located near its existing Musang King durian operations within Johor in Malaysia. A short drive over the causeway to Singapore it provides easy access to Singapore, one of the largest durian consumers in the world.
"Our Black Thorn durian launch supplements our existing Musang King durian operations and business model. It is an upcoming high value variety that simply provides us with an additional avenue of growth," said Mr. Paul Martin, Agroforestry Group's MD.
Mr. Paul Martin reiterated that Agroforestry Groups priority is the growth of its Musang King durian business although Black Thorn durian does provide good prospects in the long term. He added that although Black Thorn is very expensive in Malaysia and Singapore, it is not as well known as Musang King elsewhere.
Black Thorn durian was officially registered as D200 by the Department of Agriculture in Malaysia (Jabatan Pertanian) in 2015. It has become increasingly popular by durian lovers and today has come to locally rival Musang King in terms of taste and price. International export markets have not developed yet and it is currently sold almost entirely within Malaysia. Due to limited supply, prices for Black Thorn reach up to 25 USD/KG (100 RM/KG) within Malaysia and in Singapore.
Black Thorn durian goes by a variety of names across South East Asia but it is most commonly known as Duri Hitam in Malay and Ochee in Chinese. Duri Hitam translates into "Black Thorn" in English, while Ochee translates into "Black."
