Eat fresh for less

Abundant greens: Abdul Aziz tending to the sawi bunga at his small farm behind PPR Intan Baiduri in Kuala Lumpur. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

WITH escalating food prices, Malaysians, especially those in the B40 and M40 groups, are looking at ways to cut expenses.

For many, this involves reducing food expenditure, especially money spent on groceries.

With chicken and egg prices expected to be floated after June as part of the government’s efforts to overcome their shortage, some people are worried that the prices of foodstuff will increase.

If this happens, they may need to give up proteins such as chicken and eggs in favour of more affordable alternatives such as tofu, lentils and beans.

But there is another way to cut back on food expenses, namely, by growing your vegetables or even rearing chickens for eggs.

Several Klang Valley residents are doing just that and say this activity has been helping them to reduce food costs.

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For Moadi Hakim, 61, a long-time resident of the Intan Baiduri people’s housing project (PPR) in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, his foray into rearing chickens started with one rooster and two hens back in 2004.

Today, he has at least 12 chickens that help to produce fresh eggs all-year round.

“On top of the eggs, we have a small farm in the backyard where we grow fruits and vegetables.

“These efforts have saved us money as we do not have to buy much food,’’ Moadi added.

Similarly, Abdul Aziz Jabbar, 66, also from PPR Intan Baiduri, said he not only had saved some money, but also made a small profit from selling his surplus eggs and vegetables to other residents in the housing scheme.

“I started farming on a small scale and even had a few chickens, and my hard work has paid off,” he said, referring to his set-up on a piece of government land nearby.

Unlike Moadi’s chickens, which are kept in a coop, Abdul Aziz’s chickens are free-range.

“After my family takes their share (of eggs and vegetables), the rest is sold to other residents every Sunday,’’ he said.

Abdul Aziz added that a table would be set up near a common area in the PPR and the eggs and vegetables would be sold at half the market price.

“Sometimes, I give the vegetables away for free. It’s a joy to see people enjoy the produce,’’ he said.

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Over at Kampung Tanjung in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, some 70km away from Kuala Lumpur, Mohd Naser Abdullah, 61, runs a small farm behind his house, which he calls Atok Farm.

When he started two years ago, he reared about 20 kampung chickens.

Today, he has over 200 chickens, ducks and quails on his property and a garden full of vegetables, fruits and herbs that can easily feed up to 100 people.

While all three enterprising residents had to invest in their projects initially, their efforts are bearing fruit at a time when food security is a concern.

“We started in March 2020, just after the movement control order, with RM200 capital,’’ Mohd Naser said.

He added that with five adults and two children living under one roof, everyone had a role to play in cultivating the garden.

“After six months, we started seeing profits from the vegetables and two months later, on the livestock too.

“We were also saving money on food,’’ he said.

These days, Moadi, Abdul Aziz and Mohd Naser only head to the supermarket to buy rice and fish.

“Everything else – from vegetables and fruits to eggs and chicken – are from the garden,” Mohd Naser said.

He added that the family even substituted rice with sweet potatoes sometimes.

The family only needs to spend RM150 a month on animal feed and relies on solar power for electricity.

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All surplus food is either given away to neighbours or sold at a fraction of the cost so nothing goes to waste.

The farmers advise those who are thinking of starting a farm to focus on easy and fast-growing vegetables such as spinach, cucumbers, okra and carrots.

“Those starting out should grow sprouts like alfalfa, broccoli, fenugreek, clover and taugeh, which only needs 10 days to grow and is packed with nutrients.

“These are the best greens to grow when you are staying in an apartment where you only have a small area to spare,” Mohd Naser said.

All three residents also obtained permission from their joint management body and local authorities to embark on their urban farming ventures.

To set up a chicken coop or farm on government land close to one’s home in the Klang Valley, one needs to get the approval of their local council.

However, according to the Local Government Act 1976, if the animals reared start to become a nuisance to neighbours, the owner can face punishment.

A notice will first be issued and if the owner fails to comply, they can be fined and jailed up to six months.

So quieter breeds or smaller animals such as quail are recommended.

For those thinking of rearing chickens, Moadi said all that was required was a small coop, a rooster and maybe two or three hens.

Alternatively, he recommended rearing quail for eggs.

“Quails do not need much space. You can have about 10 chicks and the birds will start laying eggs at about six to seven weeks of age with each bird producing between 200 and 250 eggs per year.

“And the best part is their eggs are packed with nutrients.

“So at the end of the day, I am not just saving money but my family and I are also living a healthy and fulfilling life, enjoying good food,” added Mohd Naser.

Monitoring price hikes

Meanwhile, restaurant operators and traders tempted to raise prices indiscriminately should beware —the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry is monitoring the situation and carrying out enforcement to prevent profiteering.

The ministry’s enforcement director Datuk Azman Adam said in the event of an increase in an item’s price, it could issue a notice under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act (AKHAP) 2011 to obtain detailed information.

“We will analyse whether there is an element of unreasonable profiteering in determining the new price,” he said.

There had recently been several instances of customers complaining about unreasonable food prices on social media.

Azman, in a statement to StarMetro, said under AKHAP 2011, sellers were required to display a list of the prices at locations that are easily read.

“If a clear price tag is displayed, then there is no issue of confusion on the part of consumers or traders.

“It should be the same as the price the consumer is charged.

“With a clear price tag, people can compare prices first before placing an order,” he added.

He said ministry enforcement officers were always in the field to monitor prices on the ground and prevent price manipulation at eateries.

Azman said Ops Menu 3.0 operation would focus on premises that prepare and serve cooked food.

According to the ministry’s records, 3,227 checks were carried out nationwide between Jan 24 and Feb 15.

Of this number, 42 cases had been taken against those who committed offences related to price tags.

In Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, eight cases saw action taken following 336 inspections during the same period.

Azman said some common excuses given by traders for not displaying food prices included not having enough staff, no proper facility to display the prices and missing price menu books.

“Some even say the price board is being updated because there is a change in the price of food or drink or it is difficult to place signs because the price of certain items change every day,” he said.

Those with information regarding unscrupulous price increases can alert the ministry via WhatsApp at 019-279 4317 / 019-848 8000, hotline [phone], the enforcement command centre (03-8882 6088 / 6245), e-Aduan portal e.aduan.kpdn.gov.my or email [e-mail]