Nowadays, there are a lot ways to earn a living compared to those in the past where you’d often be limited to certain types of jobs.
Recently, a young Malaysian shared how he had achieved success after deciding to cultivate vegetable and fruit crops through fertigation.
In an interview with BERNAMA, the entrepreneur, Chung Chia Khang, 28, fondly known as Ah Kai, shared how he has achieved success after a tough 7-year-phase and is now a vegetable farmer on a 12-hectare farm in the Lojing Highlands.
His produce has not only just been commercialised in the country but has also been exported to Singapore.
“Initially I cultivated 1,000 polybags of plants around my home in Kampung Keroh, Kuala Krai. Now its over 100,000 plants comprising several varieties of vegetables and fruits including cabbage, corn, tomatoes, celery, spring onion, coriander, radish, long beans and rock melon (cantaloupes).”
“The vegetables in this farm are sent to wholesalers in Kampung Raja, Cameron Highlands before being exported,” he told reporters.
Chung said a total of 40,000 cabbage plants cultivated on 1.2 hectares of land were soon harvested, with almost a tonne of cabbage picked up daily.
Chung added that currently, he can produce 40 to 70 tonnes of vegetables per month.
“Thanks to my persistence and devotion to the land, I got a decent return and was able to earn RM400,000 in a month, and set up a company called Lojifarmers last year,” he explained.
Recalling his efforts, Chung said that his interest in agro-agriculture was piqued after he participated in an agricultural course organised by the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) after completing the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
Chung started on a small scale and received RM10,000 in assistance from RISDA’s Supplementary Economic Activity programme to develop agricultural areas.
“I made the right choice considering the rise in the price of vegetables in the market. The market price of vegetables for this year is good when it increased by more than 50% compared to a year or two ago.”
What do you think of his success story? Has it inspired you to get into farming? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: M’sian Couple Working as Fruit Pickers in Australia For 2 Years Opens Up an Eatery With Earnings
