This man has a very simple passion: he only wants to plant papayas as a hobby. However, the hobby turned into a lucrative business venture. Mohamed Omar, a 66-year-old man hailing from Kelantan, now earns an impressive monthly income of over RM20,000 by planting papayas.
His journey began back in 2019 when he decided to use his free time by planting 30 Callina papaya trees on a piece of land. Surprisingly, these papayas gained high demand from the market due to their thick, red, and fragrant flesh. Thus, he saw it as an opportunity and started to sell them to the public.
From merely a hobby, Mohamed transitioned into a commercial papaya cultivator. Starting with only 30 plants, he now oversees an operation with over 2,500 papaya trees on a 1.6-hectare land.
He even plans to open an additional 1.6-hectare plot of land in March this year together with his son to meet the high demand from the market.
Currently, he produces 1,000 kilograms of papaya per day. However, Mohamed said the local market demand far exceeds the current supply. According to him, it is due to the lack of competition from other commercial papaya cultivators.
Talking about his secret to success, Mohamed shared he operates a stand close to the farm where he sells packs of papayas for a price of RM10 for 3 kg. This ensures him to connect directly with customers but also ensures a fair price for his produce.
Based on his sharing, the papaya trees can survive up to three years and are suitable for cultivation in various soil types except sandy soil, which is rich in Malaysia. A single tree can yield around 40 fruits at a time.
He is also thankful to the Small Rubber Planters Authority (RISDA) for the never-ending support to local entrepreneurs and farmers like him.
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