LSE Law Grad, 30, Gave Up Legal Career To Become Organic Durian Farmer In Pahang

Never imagined becoming a durian farmer 

Looking back, Vin says he "never, not in a million years" imagined becoming a durian farmer.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Laws from the London School of Economics, Vin completed his Bar training in the UK and qualified as a lawyer. He later joined the Singapore Mediation Centre as an associate mediator, handling disputes involving mainly Singaporean clients over Zoom from his home in Malaysia.

But something felt missing.

"I quit law because it wasn't for me," he says. "Not to disrespect lawyers, because I believe they're necessary. Law is a man-made ecosystem that keeps people in check.

"However, what I really wanted was to create something tangible — something I could share with the [wider] community. Unlike durians, a legal victory isn't really something I can share with everyone."

That search for something more meaningful eventually led him to agriculture.

"I wanted to eat my own durians"

When asked why he chose the more challenging route of growing organic durians? "I wanted to eat my own durians," he says simply.

The Kuala Lumpur native likens agricultural chemicals to medicine for trees. According to him, many conventional durian farms rely on chemical fertilisers, fungicides, pesticides and herbicides, including weedkillers like glyphosate, to boost yields and keep diseases and weeds at bay.

"Some farmers don't actually eat their own durians because they know all the nonsense they put in their plants," he claims.

A landslide convinced Vin to take over his father's farm

Vin's father had bought the 10-acre plot in Bentong in 2019 after retiring from his previous job — which the family declined to reveal, fulfilling what Vin describes as "the dream of many retired Malaysians". But neither of them actually knew how to grow durians, so his father hired a consultant to manage the farm.

"The farm didn't start off as organic," Vin says.

Things took an unexpected turn when a landslide occurred, damaging nearby homes. Vin says he believed the farm's conventional practices contributed to the incident.

"I fired the farmer immediately," he recalls. Vin then brought in other durian consultants, hoping things would improve. Instead, they all turned to similar farming methods that relied heavily on chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

With his father's support, Vin decided to take over the reins himself. "People questioned what made me think I could do a better job," he says. "I didn’t think I could do better, but I knew what we were doing back then wasn't the right way."

Instead of following conventional farming methods, Vin looked to nature, drawing inspiration from Malaysia's rainforest ecosystem.

"I explored the jungles nearby and poked around the soil, looking for millipedes and centipedes, and simply observing," he says. "I realised the soil, roots and fungi all work together."

"How do babies learn? They don't read books. They go and find out [by experiencing things]," he says somewhat cryptically. 

This wasn't Vin's first brush with farming. During the pandemic, he briefly ran an organic hydroponic microgreens business. Although it didn't take off, it gave him some basic agricultural knowledge.

No chemicals, no shortcuts

"[Farming organically] is much more labour-intensive," he says. Instead of relying on chemicals to solve problems quickly, every tree has to be monitored individually, compost is made by hand, and caring for each tree is adjusted according to its condition.

"If a tree is sick, I can't easily rely on chemicals," he explains. "I'd have to inspect its roots, leaves, branches and soil to come to a diagnosis."

That also means a lot more manpower. Bentong Hill Durian currently employs 12 workers, all of whom Vin personally trained for about a year.

"Friends and family say it's the best Black Thorn they've ever had”

According to Vin, his organically grown durians taste and smell noticeably different from regular ones.

"My brother hates durians and can't stand being in the same house as them, but he didn't even notice when I brought home my harvest," he says. "There's no strong petrol or rotten egg smell. It still tastes like durian, but fresher".

Vin also claims his durians don't leave customers with sore throats, meaning they can polish off several seeds in one sitting with no discomfort. “It’s because there are no pesticides, no chemical fertilisers and no chemical sulphur, which many [other] durian farmers put into the soil," he explains. Vin adds that he is able to eat almost 10 seeds of his organic durians at one go without experiencing the ‘heatiness’ he would usually get from the regular stuff. 

"My friends and family say it's the best Black Thorn they've ever had," he says with a laugh. "They can't eat commercially grown durians anymore."

He describes his organically grown Black Thorn as having a “richer, buttery texture with a rounded bittersweetness, floral notes and hints of honey, vanilla, whisky and rum”. In comparison, he says his Musang King is sweeter, with a more caramel and toffee-like flavour profile.  

"Twice the price but twice as good”

Durian trees typically take at least five years before bearing fruit, and Vin has only just completed his first harvest, collecting about 118 durians in total. Around half were sold to family and friends at RM100 (SGD $31.71) per kilogram — roughly double the price of regular premium durians you find at stores in Malaysia.

"Twice the price but twice as good," declares Vin. 

He believes customers aren't simply paying for an "organic" label. "We focus on quality over quantity," he explains.

While Bentong Hill Durian also grows Musang King and Tupai King, Vin chose to specialise in Black Thorn instead. "Musang King has become oversupplied after years of farmers rushing to plant the popular cultivar," he says.

Vin adds that most growers reserve their top-grade Musang Kings for export to Singapore and China, while the lower-grade fruits are sold locally in Malaysia. "Low-grade durians flood the market here," he says.

Rather than competing on volume, Vin focuses on quality. He limits each tree to around 40 durians instead of harvesting hundreds. The payoff, he says, is consistency. Vin estimates that 80 to 90 per cent of his harvest qualifies as top-quality A-grade fruit, typically weighing about 1.8kg with five chambers of flesh.

Vin adds that he’s positioning Bentong Hill Durian as a boutique brand. He and his father are estimated to have invested a total of RM 3 to 4 million into the farm before it bore fruit.

When asked if being a durian farmer is lucrative, Vin replies: "I can't comment on factory farms. But for me — running an organic, small-volume and high-quality regenerative farm, where every durian tree is cared for as an individual — it's enough to keep us going. But it's a work of love."

His durians already fully booked for the next season in Dec 

As this is only Bentong’s first harvest, Vin says he's still cautiously optimistic. "There are two durian seasons, from June to August and December to February," he explains. "If everything goes well, production should increase exponentially."

Even though the year-end harvest is still months away, his durian slots are already fully booked by friends, family and online customers who contacted him via social media.

Singaporeans who don't mind making the trip to Bentong can visit the farm to feast on Vin's organic durians. Visits are by appointment only, via WhatsApp or Instagram. 

Plans to bring his organic durians to Singapore

Besides running Bentong Hill Durian, Vin also does consultancy work for other durian farm owners, overseeing their farm operations and managing workers. He now manages around 100 acres of farmland — roughly 2,800 durian trees in total. 

"I have so many clients asking me to grow durians organically on their land too," he says proudly. "I've even had enquiries from Indonesia and Australia. But when I asked if they were sure they wanted to pay for my weekly return flights, they changed their minds," he laughs.

Next year, Vin hopes to bring Bentong Hill Durian to Singapore through a retail partner, though nothing is confirmed at press time.

For now, he's taking things one harvest at a time.

"To me, it's more of a passion project than a business," he says. "I think I've found my life's purpose."

Bentong Hill Durian is at Bentong, Pahang. The address will be shared upon confirmation of a private tour booking. More info via Instagram or Whatsapp ‪+60 16‑270 0961‬. 

Photos: Bentong Hill Durian