RRI.CO.ID, Banda Aceh - Instead of hiring extra guards during the harvest season, a durian farmer in Aceh Besar opened his orchard to visitors as a seasonal agrotourism site. Suhaimi (42), a farmer from Lamseunia Village, Leupung Subdistrict, Aceh Province said the move helps protect the harvest from theft while boosting his family’s income.

Suhaimi’s durian agrotourism site is about six kilometers from the West–South Aceh national road and roughly 30 kilometers from Banda Aceh city center. The trip takes around one hour by motorcycle or a four-wheel vehicle with a dual axle.

Access to the Leupung durian site is limited to motorcycles or dual-axle vehicles because visitors must traverse steep, rocky roads. The seasonal agrotourism business has been operating for four years and is promoted via Instagram and TikTok.

“We’ve opened every durian season for four years, and, alhamdulillah, it’s quite popular,” said Suhaimi, as quoted by Antara.

Visitors pay IDR 100,000 (about USD 5.53) for all-you-can-eat durian. For those who want lunch and coffee as well, the price is IDR 120,000 (about USD 6.64) per person. Durian cannot be taken home; guests must eat on site until satisfied.

Besides durian, visitors can enjoy other orchard fruits for free, such as mangosteen and langsat, when they are harvested at the same time.

The orchard has 110 durian trees across seven hectares. All trees are local heirloom varieties inherited from Suhaimi’s parents and he has not planted other cultivars. This season’s yield is limited, so Suhaimi restricts daily visitors to about 15 people, although registrations sometimes reach 50 per day.

“We limit visitors because there aren’t many durians this year. We can’t accept everyone in one day because the rule is all-you-can-eat. If it’s too crowded, some people may not be satisfied,” he said.

Suhaimi said the agrotourism concept arose from limited labor, that during harvest the orchard cannot be left unguarded because fruit can be taken by people or eaten by wild animals, such as monkeys, that in particular, love durian. When that happens, the effort to guard the orchard is wasted and fruits that could support the family’s income disappear.

To address that, he began inviting the public to eat durian directly in his orchard. Opening the orchard has increased the economic value of the harvest. Besides income from visitors, he sells durian at a stall along the national road, and daily agents come to the orchard to buy fruit directly, boosting his revenue.

The initiative also responds to demand that many people from Banda Aceh and Aceh Besar do not have orchards, but want the experience of eating durian straight from the tree. By opening agrotourism, Suhaimi not only supports his family’s income but also creates earnings for those who help manage and guard the orchard during the season.

Visitor reactions have been positive. Khairina from South Aceh said she was delighted to enjoy durian at the orchard without limits.

“Thank God, it’s our first time here. Here we are free and not restricted. We can eat as much as we like and pick fallen fruit ourselves. We’re happy,” she said. Although the road is challenging, she felt satisfied after reaching the farm.

“We learned about this place from TikTok, so we came. I’m happy because I could taste many durian flavors. It’s very different eating durian in the orchard than buying it at the market,” added Khairina.

Dedi Saputra from North Aceh said he has visited the Leupung durian agrotourism twice with different groups, first in the 2024 season, and returned because he missed the atmosphere and the taste.

“I last came in the 2024 durian season. When I heard it was open again and friends invited me, I joined. It’s delicious to eat at the orchard when the durian is fresh,” said Dedi.

He also prepared his vehicle and provisions in advance, knowing the terrain. Dedi hopes the Aceh Province and Aceh Besar Subdistrict Administration will support development of seasonal durian agrotourism. Better access would help farmers’ incomes and introduce Aceh Besar durian to wider markets.

“This needs administration support, especially road access to all durian agrotourism sites in Aceh Besar. With more visitors, Aceh Besar durian can become better known and benefit farmers,” he said.

According to Aceh’s Agriculture Agency, Aceh Besar is the province’s third-largest durian-producing regency. An analyst at the Aceh Besar Food Security Agency, Muhni, said durian orchards are not evenly distributed across the regency, among 23 subdistricts, the largest producers are Lhoong and Leupung.

Other subdistricts with durian orchards include Lembah Seulawah, Jantho, Seulimum, Kuta Cot Glie, Suka Makmur, Darul Kamal and Lhoknga. Of those producing subdistricts, only three have developed durian agrotourism, which are Lamseunia Village in Leupung Subdistrict, and Teungoh Geunteut and Lamsujen villages in Lhoong Subdistrict.

Muhni added that the administration has supported farmers by providing superior durian seedlings and fertilizer through farmer groups. Seedlings distributed include montong, bentana, MK, hortimart and other varieties, alongside efforts to develop local varieties.

The administration also guides farmers toward mother-tree certification for the Mieh durian variety, a program that has run for about three years. Durian Mieh, known as 'the sleeping cat', is an ancient, legendary Aceh Besar variety with bright orange or yellow flesh.

“We cooperate with the Seed Certification and Supervision Center (BPSB) to support and train farmers so local variety seedlings can be certified,” said Muhni.

For Suhaimi and other farmers, every fallen durian is more than a tasty fruit, it’s a bridge connecting them to consumers and a source of household income. Amid the city’s bustle, the Lamteh durian orchard offers natural beauty, tranquility, honest flavors and unrivaled satisfaction. ***