Single Mother Quits Day Job to Plant Chillis in PD, Earns RM30,000 From First Harvest

A single mother took the leap of faith by quitting her day job in order to focus on her chilli-planting business, and that was the best decision she’s ever made.

According to Harian Metro, 38-year-old Nur Hashirah had resigned from the private company she was working at three years ago after learning that her friend who is running a chilli plantation in Kluang, Johor was making a decent income.

Source: Harian Metro

“Although I have no experience in doing business, I didn’t hesitate to quit my job. In fact, my siblings, especially my brother, supported my decision.

“I learnt the fertigation technique from Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan Kuala Langat before renting a piece of land measuring 1.2 hectares in Bukit Pelanduk. I then forked out RM24,000 for some fertigation equipment and bought 2,000 chilli saplings,” Nur Hasmirah said.

She later bought an additional 4,000 chilli plants and increased the total number of plants she owns to 6,000. Her plantation is located at Bukit Pelanduk, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.

Source: Business Insider

“Every day, I would go to the plantation to check on the chilli plants. I chose to grow chillis because they’re easy to care for and don’t require a lot of manpower if you’re using modern technology.

“With the fertigation system in place, I don’t have to do any ploughing, weeding or applying pesticide to the plants. Moreover, the modern irrigation system saves me a lot of hassle. I just need to install a timer to the water supply system and it will automatically supply water at a pre-determined time,” she added. 

After five months, the crops were ready for harvest and she collected almost five tonnes of chillis from 2,000 plants. The revenue was recorded at RM30,000 which further motivated her to continue growing chillis. She also plants cucumbers and rockmelons to diversify her crops and to keep up with the market demand. That’s a smart move! 

“Working under the sun and rain is not a problem for me because I am motivated. I won’t look back because I’m doing this for my livelihood,” she said. 

Jumping into an unfamiliar field (literally!) at the age of 38 certainly requires a lot of courage, and we salute her for that. Kipidap! 

Also read: M’sian Gives Up Steady Job After 9 Years in Singapore, Now Runs His Own Dessert Shop