Peter,
IMO that is a good model as it helps to keep the fertility on the land (husks fruit waste etc). And reduced middlemen that can have a negative impact on all other parties.
DL,
4pm for the best price then! Thanks! I wish we had that kind of movement of Durian here.
Here it is so scarce that people raid botanical gardens for durian to sell at the local market at $30 per kg! And they cut them of the tree way before they are ripe and then unknowing Chinese visitors buy them. It's not only theft but also fruit crime cause one can destroy someones opinion of the fruit with selling crap fruit and then they spread around that durian is awful etc.
One gang rolled in with a wheelbarrow 30 min after the gardeners left so they got time before security came.
And one year ago one friend had his orchard raided by a gang, lost most durian, wheelbarrows of it!
These are not hippies or fruitarians, these are criminals as they get $30/kg for the fruit.
Not fun to have overcome bats, cockatoos, bugs, monsoon and mozzies to have thieves grab it all.
Yes seedling culture is still strong which is great, I have mostly seen them tying durians with ropes so that they can be hoisted down. The only picked durian that we noticed was "bangkok durian" as it is common that they splash if fallen from high in the tree onto non mulched soil but still most of the farms we saw use the rope method.
Peace