Durian plantation
Durian plantation
If I write about a coffee, tea or cashew plantation, the
reader of this letter would think it nothing new, but if I write
about a durian plantation then it is really something.
An affluent conglomerate led by Mr. Hartawan (not his real
name), prefers to keep a low profile. As is the case with many
other conglomerates, they have the uncanny ability to choose
which line of business will be profitable, and I believe that
this durian business is expected to produce a good profit.
Mr. Hartawan came upon this idea when he visited Thailand
because Thailand's durian is better in quality than Indonesia's
durian. It tastes more delicious, has small seeds and an
abundance of flesh.
Mr. Hartawan used to be an ardent golfer but no longer plays
the game because inspecting 10 hectares of his durian plantation
is healthier than playing eighteen holes of golf. Mr. Hartawan
does manage his plantation in an efficient and modern style by
employing two qualified experts who graduated from Bogor's
prestigious Agriculture University.
The only nuisance of such a plantation is the codot (fruit
eating bat), a nocturnal enemy which always tries to harvest the
fruit without the owner's consent. This conglomerate estimates
the end of the year harvest and many prospective buyers have
already expressed their eagerness to purchase the durian. No
wonder durian is called the king of fruits.
Mr. Hartawan's durian plantation has a high fence around it
because besides the real fruit eating bats, there are also human
bats that also want to reap what they have not sown -- to use a
biblical phrase.
A. DJUANA
Jakarta
If I write about a coffee, tea or cashew plantation, the
reader of this letter would think it nothing new, but if I write
about a durian plantation then it is really something.
An affluent conglomerate led by Mr. Hartawan (not his real
name), prefers to keep a low profile. As is the case with many
other conglomerates, they have the uncanny ability to choose
which line of business will be profitable, and I believe that
this durian business is expected to produce a good profit.
Mr. Hartawan came upon this idea when he visited Thailand
because Thailand's durian is better in quality than Indonesia's
durian. It tastes more delicious, has small seeds and an
abundance of flesh.
Mr. Hartawan used to be an ardent golfer but no longer plays
the game because inspecting 10 hectares of his durian plantation
is healthier than playing eighteen holes of golf. Mr. Hartawan
does manage his plantation in an efficient and modern style by
employing two qualified experts who graduated from Bogor's
prestigious Agriculture University.
The only nuisance of such a plantation is the codot (fruit
eating bat), a nocturnal enemy which always tries to harvest the
fruit without the owner's consent. This conglomerate estimates
the end of the year harvest and many prospective buyers have
already expressed their eagerness to purchase the durian. No
wonder durian is called the king of fruits.
Mr. Hartawan's durian plantation has a high fence around it
because besides the real fruit eating bats, there are also human
bats that also want to reap what they have not sown -- to use a
biblical phrase.
A. DJUANA
Jakarta