Who has ever thought that agriculture was able to produce a high income? A Sabahan singer, Ayu Damit saw the potential and she grabbed the opportunity by venturing in chilli plantation together with cucumber and milk melon.
1) A successful entrepreneur who owns a vegetable farming business
Many would recognise her as a winner of reality programme “One In A Million” Season 2. Apart from singing, Ayu Damit is now actively venturing in farming business – which is chilli plantation with her husband, Syed Fauzi Syed Baharuddin, 31. She owns a 4-acre chilli plant located in Hulu Langat.
2) High demand for chilli in the market
They rented the estate from Orang Asli and started the business since two years ago – utilising open fertigation system. Since they started the business, Ayu Damit Agro farm has been harvesting chilli four times and they were once collected 400 kilograms of chilli.
3) Failed several times before
Before planting chilli, they have been cultivating pineapples and coconuts at her husband’s village located in Kuala Kangsar, Perak. Initially, the farming business was doing well, but severe flood events destroyed the crops.
4) Providing job opportunities for Orang Asli community
For Ayu Damit, the excitement of cultivating a farm not only on the results but the satisfaction of helping the local community by offering job opportunities.
They normally hire 10 to 15 additional workers from the Orang Asli community during the harvest season and subsequently help them in getting income.
5) 16,000 chilli trees to date
For now, Ayu is planning to look for vacant land to expand the chilli plantation together with other vegetables and fruits. To date, they have 16,000 chilli trees but it’s not enough to fulfil the market demand as the business has great potential to develop.
She wished to expand the business and export to overseas as the market demand is high for chilli.
6) Producing pickled chilli product
The latest product released by Ayu Damit Agro Farm is pickled chilli and it’s still new. They are still in the process of surveying potential buyers to develop agro products that best fit the local market.
The farm business is fully managed by her husband and as for Ayu, she’s more on marketing and developing strategies for the business.
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