A battle is unfolding over the world's smelliest fruit.
Insider spoke to farmers in Malaysia who say their entire livelihood is being wiped out at the worst possible time.
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In Southeast Asia, the durian is the undisputed king of fruit.
The smell, though, is divisive.
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Still, durians are a special treat in Asian households, costing as much as $13 a pound.
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Tan Wai Kiat's family has been growing Musang King on a plantation in Raub, an old mining township of 100,000 people, for 20 years.
Just like with wine, durian trees that age longer produce better fruit.
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But all that's left of his farm now are logs and mud, he told Insider.
In mid July, the state forestry department finished chopping down 15,000 durian trees, including the entirety of Tan's 13-acre plantation.
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As interest in durian cultivation has grown, so has interference from Raub's state government, say Musang King farmers.
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Most of the Musang King farms are built on state-owned land and are being run without permission from authorities.
But farmers say they have been trying to legalize their farms for years.
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In June 2020, the state government awarded the Royal Pahang Durian Group (RPDG) more than 5,500 acres of Musang King soil.
The problem is that the land was already host to roughly 1,000 Musang King farmers.
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The RPDG told farmers it would lease them back the land for a one-time fee of around $1,400 an acre.
But the leased land comes with strings.
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The battle around Raub's Musang King comes as demand for the fruit has been exploding in popularity in China.
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Chiang Heng Mun, another farmer whose 20-acre plantation was cleared this month, says that without his Musang King trees, he doubts he'll make enough for his family to live off of.
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Read more about the battle over durians on Insider.
insider.com/malaysia-farme…
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