Surin farmers turn their cassava and rubber plantations into durian, with the most popular being the Monthong and Kanyaw varieties. Recently, more than 2,000 rai of land have been planted, of which 44.40 percent are found to be unsuitable, resulting in low yields. OAE 5 reveals 3 management approaches to help farmers.

Mrs. Sujaree Picha, Director of the Office of Agricultural Economics 5, Nakhon Ratchasima (OAE 5), Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), revealed that durian is considered an economic crop that yields high returns. The market has continuous demand. Surin Province is another province where farmers in the area have changed to plant durian to replace cassava plantations and rubber plantations, according to the Agricultural Production Management Project according to the Agricultural Map for Proactive Management (Agri-Map).

In 2024, Surin Province has a total durian tree area of ​​2,000 rai, with 44.40 percent planted in very suitable areas (S1/S2) and 55.60 percent in unsuitable areas (S3/N). The main planting area is at the foot of the Phanom Dong Rek mountain range, which is in the areas of Phanom Dong Rak District, Buachet District, Sangkha District, and Kap Choeng District. Farmers like to plant Mon Thong and Kanyao durian varieties.

From the monitoring of the Office of the Agricultural Extension 5, it was found that farmers who planted durian in very suitable areas (S1/S2) would get a yield of 319.33 kilograms/rai/year, with an average net return (profit) of 24,183.53 baht/rai/year or 75.73 baht/kilogram. In comparison, farmers who planted durian in unsuitable areas (S3,N) would get a yield of 286.67 kilograms/rai/year, with an average net return (profit) of 9,807.55 baht/rai/year or 34.21 baht/kilogram. It can be seen that durian planted in very suitable areas (S1/S2) gave a higher yield than in unsuitable areas (S3,N).

Due to the fertility of the soil, acidity, moisture, and water sources, it can help reduce production costs and produce good quality products. As for the price of durian that farmers can sell in July 2024, which is the period when the product is released to the market, the average price is 150 – 180 baht/kilogram. In terms of the market situation, most of the products, 90 percent, are sold directly to consumers by farmers. 5 percent of the products are purchased by traders at the orchard and collected for resale in the province. And the remaining 5 percent of the products are sold by farmers through their own online channels.

          Durian is still considered a potential product of Surin Province. However, Durian farmers in Surin Province still encounter problems because most of them have no experience in growing durian before, resulting in a lack of knowledge in caring for it. In addition, there is a shortage of water sources, causing durian trees to suffer from drought and the durian trees to die. The management guidelines for durian products with potential in the S3/N area of ​​Surin Province are as follows:

1) Development of infrastructure that affects changes in soil quality and increases water sources, such as developing soil quality for efficient production and fertilizer use based on soil analysis, water management for the entire system, such as increasing irrigated areas, providing water sources in farms, etc.

2) Changing to planting alternative crops with potential and market support to replace areas where durian trees are dead or produce little, such as organic herbs, mulberry planting, etc.

3) Mixed farming is another option that generates income for farmers and for household security. This is an important factor in reducing the risk of monoculture farming for farmers. If farmers or anyone is interested in information about the cost of return on durian production in Surin Province, you can inquire at OAE Zone 5, Nakhon Ratchasima, Tel. 0-4446-5120 or email zone5@oae.go.th.