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A certified public accountant is one of the most successful durian farmers in Davao City.

He is Larry Miculob who has a 14-hectare durian farm in Upper Kawayan, Calinan district. His farm is not as big as many other plantations but his is undoubtedly one of the most productive. He averages 10 to 12 tons of marketable fruits per hectare. Other growers may not even achieve half that volume.

Although he has only four workers on the farm, his place looks like a resort. It is spic and span and there are lots of flowering plants around the farmhouse.

Larry boasts of the high quality of the varieties he grows. He grows a lot of the Puyat variety which is considered one of the best-tasting varieties around. Also well known for its superior eating quality is Arancillo. The fruits are small compared to other varieties but the tree  produces a lot of fruits. The only problem is that it is susceptible to the phytophthora disease. Larry, however, is up-to-date on the control of durian diseases. Once an infection is detected, the control measures are administered right away. Preventive measures like proper pruning, provision of adequate drainage, cleanliness on the farm and others are adopted.

One variety that Larry is excited about is what he has christened Schwarzkoff, after a well known American general. The original planting materials were obtained from the owner of a banana plantation. The variety is of uncertain origin and has not been properly identified. He has a couple of  16-year-old Schwarzkoff trees which he has observed to be practically ever-bearing. It is in fruit most parts of the year. In addition it has a slight bitter-sweet taste which is preferred by durian connoisseurs.

Although he has only four workers, they work conscientiously because they are given substantial incentives. A production target is set for the year. When the target is exceeded, half of the sale from the  excess production is distributed as bonus to the workers. It is not unusual for a worker to receive several thousand pesos as additional bonus.