DurioKing: A Nine-Year Journey from Sapling to Harvest

2017 – The Humble Beginning

In March 2017, K. N. (Wong) and his wife stood on a quiet slope in Raub, Pahang, staring out at two modest plots of land thick with rubber trees. For many, it was just another patch of Malaysian countryside — but for the Wongs, it was the blank canvas of a dream. With a bold vision to grow premium durians, they began the painstaking process of transforming the rubber plantation into a durian haven.

It started with 350 grafted durian saplings, carefully selected and planted into nursery rows. Twenty-six of them were extra special — grafted from 20-year-old mother trees, carrying the legacy and strength of mature durian genetics. Anticipating future droughts and knowing durians take up lots of water, Mr. Wong oversaw the digging of a pond at the base of the hill to ensure a reliable water source. They built their first worker's quarters, and to support monthly operations, the Wongs planted bananas and papayas — quick fruiters that would soon help fund the long wait for durian maturity.

2018 – Foundations and First Fruits

With their saplings growing taller, the Wongs turned to infrastructure. They laid down a farm-wide irrigation system, weaving lifelines beneath the tree. Fences went up and snake netting was installed, a thoughtful gesture for the safety of workers and visitors.

But this was no monoculture farm. They believed in biodiversity, planting over 20 types of fruit trees: rambutans, mangosteens, green oranges, coconuts, avocados, pulasans, and more. Every tree was a promise on this fertile soil. As a pleasant surprise, an existing kampung durian tree on the land gave its first humble harvest, a small reward for a year of sweat and hard work.

2019 – Building the Heart of the Farm

By 2019, it was time to anchor their lives more deeply into the land. Construction began on a three-storey farmhouse, complete with a unique feature on the top floor: a swallow house, designed to attract edible-nest swiftlets. Below, a wood-fired brick oven was built — not just for baking, but as a warm centerpiece for future gatherings, where friends and family could come together and enjoy something fresh, straight from the oven.

2020 – A Global Pause, But the Farm Endures

The world stopped. The pandemic made regular travel from Kuala Lumpur to Raub nearly impossible. But the farm, indifferent to human timelines, continued growing. Maintenance was minimal but constant. Papayas, nangka, and calamansi fruits kept ripening, offering a small but steady stream of produce to sell in markets. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep going. The Wongs never stopped believing in the potential of the farm.

2021 – Small Sign of Success

Four years since the first graft, Black Thorn durians — notoriously difficult and prized — began to bear fruit. It was a quiet miracle. Rambutans — both red and yellow — filled out their first full bunches, while guavas, coconuts, and passionfruit matured into taste and color. Every bite of fruit was a validation of patience.

This was the year things started to taste like success.

2022 – Recovery and Renewal

As the world reopened, so did the Wongs’ weekly visits to the farm. Now, 15% of the durian trees began flowering and fruiting. The yields were modest, just enough for friends, family, and eager taste-testers. But the quality? Pretty solid.

The farm was growing more than just durians. Pineapples, mangoes, and tangerines added splashes of color and tropical flavor. These side crops helped sustain operations while the durians took their sweet time to mature.

2023 – Trouble Beneath the Leaves

This year came with a hard lesson: even nature plays rough. As the durian trees matured rapidly, the original irrigation system could no longer keep up. A complete overhaul began, with new pipes and new pumps.

But the climate has done irreversible damage to some of the plants. 5% of the trees showed signs of disease: root rot, bacterial infections, stunned growth and scorched leaves. For the Wongs, it was heartbreaking to see trees they had nurtured from saplings struggle or die. But instead of giving up, the couple dug in deeper — treating what they could, learning from what they couldn’t save.

The harvest was limited, but the trees were nurtured back to health.

2024 – The First Real Harvest

Seven years in, the hillside finally bloomed with promise. Under balanced rains and golden sun, five durian varieties ripened: Musang King, Black Thorn, Tekka, D24, and Green Skin. It was the first proper durian season, and it came with all the glory and gratitude of hard-work. The trees had matured, the flavors had deepened, and the harvest was more than a milestone — it was a moment of quiet triumph.

This wasn’t just a farm now. This once barren rubber plantation has been reshaped into the bountiful farm the Wongs have envisioned.

2025 – Nature Teaches, Again

This year, heavy rains arrived too early and too often. Many durian flowers were lost, washed away before they could bloom into fruit. But Mr. Wong, ever the learner, took a bold step — he introduced manual pollination in the evening hours, carefully transferring pollen from flower to flower by hand. It was meticulous, meditative work, but it paid off. Though the yield was smaller than 2024, the flavor was unparalleled — rich, complex, and with depth.

Because just like the durians, the farm had grown wiser with time.

A Story Still Growing

Today, DurioKing isn’t just about fruit. It’s about resilience, hard work and the weekly commute between KL and Raub, of sticking with a dream through uncertainty. Mr. and Mrs. Wong didn’t inherit a farm — they built it, year by year, tree by tree, with grit in their hands and a strong passion in their hearts.

Behind every creamy bite of durian is a story of early mornings, aching backs, and countless decisions. And now, when the fruits finally fall from the tree, they don’t just drop with weight — they land with meaning.

Because farming, as the Wongs will tell you, isn’t just growing things.

It’s growing with them.