Farmers being older blue-collar workers who earn less than in white-collar jobs has long been a stereotype that some people hold. However, a young farmer selling vegetables in Malaysia is proving every aspect of that stereotype wrong
In Lojing Highlands, Kelantan, there is a 28-year-old farmer whose produce is so popular, he even exports to Singapore. He reportedly makes a whopping RM40,000 (S$11,938.49) a month from farming and selling vegetables and fruits.
Malaysian news outlet Bernama reported that Chung Chia Kang is successfully running his 12-hectare farm in Lojing Highlands after seven long years of hard work and determination.
Chung’s farming journey began when he cultivated 1,000 bags of plants in his hometown of Kampong Keroh in Kuala Krai. Today, his farm, Lojing Farmers Market, cultivates over 100,000 bags of fruits and vegetables. These include cabbage, corn, tomato, celery, rock melon, and more.
Source: Lojing Farmers Market on Facebook
The 28-year-old told Bernama that the farm sends its produce to wholesalers in Kampong Raja in the Cameron Highlands before being exported. Every month, he produces about 40 to 70 tonnes of vegetables.
Chung shared that he now makes RM40,000 (S$11,938.49) a month from farming. He said that the reason he is able to get such good results today is “thanks to [his] persistence and devotion to the land”.
The young Malaysian farmer first grew interest in cultivating vegetables when he participated in an agricultural programme after his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations — the Malaysian equivalent of Singapore’s GCE O-Levels.
Source: Bernama
The programme Chung attended was organised by the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA) of Malaysia. Subsequently, he received funding of RM10,000 (S$2,984.62) from the agency for his first small-scale agricultural operation.
He told Bernama that he made the right choice, in light of rising vegetable prices in the market.
“The market price of this year is good when it increased by more than 50% compared to a year or two ago,” he said.
Indeed, the prices of fresh produce have risen over the last few months. The prices of fruits and vegetables in Singapore are exceptionally susceptible to the weather conditions faced by the countries where we import our products, such as Malaysia.
For farmers like Chung, this proves that they indeed have made the right career choice.
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Featured image adapted from Bernama and Lojing Farmers Market on Facebook.
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