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It took eight years, but this Malaysian turned his small chilli-growing venture into a thriving business
After working as an electrical technician in Putrajaya, 31-year-old Yusuf Jamal Khair decided to return to his hometown of Kampung Lubuk Pusing in Changkat Keruing, Perak, to pursue farming in 2018.
The father of one said he began growing chillies using the fertigation method, simply wanting to try a new venture after seeing the crop's potential.
"I started with just 500 polybags in front of my house using a fertigation system, with RM10,000 from my own savings.
"I decided to try it myself after seeing others succeed. Back then, it was just a small-scale operation in front of my house," he told Harian Metro.
What began with just 500 polybags has since grown into a farm with 10,000 polybags — a 20-fold expansion over the past eight years
Today, Yusuf cultivates the Sakata 461 chilli variety, which takes about three months to mature from seedling to harvest.
Yusuf admitted that one of the biggest challenges in the beginning was dealing with insect infestations, especially since he had no farming experience or formal training.
"I learned entirely from other farmers who shared their knowledge on YouTube and Facebook.
"Once my farm started producing results, I enrolled in private courses and visited other growers' farms to gain more knowledge, which helped me expand the business.
"Thankfully, I now harvest an average of one tonne (1,000kg) of chillies every month, which are supplied to local wholesalers and the Selayang Wholesale Market," he said.
Yusuf told Bernama that he also suffered losses of more than RM35,000 after 3,000 polybags of his fertigated chilli plants were destroyed by flooding in November last year.
Image via @bernamaofficial (Instagram)Yusuf said his farm now spans more than two acres, with three planting plots managed in stages to ensure a steady supply of chillies throughout the year
He added that he is also grateful for the state's financial assistance, which has helped young farmers like him grow their agricultural ventures.
In 2023, he received a RM50,000 grant from the Perak Department of Agriculture, which he used to install steel support racks across the farm, replacing his old hanging system.
"Previously, I had to suspend every polybag using ropes tied to concrete poles. It was quite troublesome, but the steel racks have made the work much easier.
"I also received fertiliser assistance from the Department of Agriculture together with the grant," he said.
Last year, Yusuf also received a RM30,000 Agropreneur Muda grant, which he used to purchase fertiliser, coco peat, and pesticides to further boost his farm's productivity.
He said the assistance reflects the Perak Department of Agriculture's commitment to supporting young farmers through its Lembah Bakul Makanan food security initiative under the Perak Sejahtera 2030 development plan.
