Osman’s farming practices adheres to Australian guidelines to ensure optimum animal welfare. — Photos: THOMAS YONG/The Star
THE collective toil of farmers and fishermen in Johor has made the state the top agricultural producer in Malaysia.
Farmer Norman Ali, 54, from Pontian, owns a 0.4ha plot near Rimba Terjun and has been producing buah salak (Salacca zalacca) for 13 years.
He initially planted 200 rubber trees in 2010 but found enough space for an additional crop.
“Since I was a child, I liked to eat buah salak but it is difficult to get here.
“It is native to Indonesia and most fruit farmers here don’t want to plant it because not many locals are familiar with the fruit,” he said.
Norman said the fig-shaped fruit had dark brown scales and was ready to eat when its skin changes to light brown.
“In 2011, a friend brought me a few salak fruit.
“That was when I had the idea to plant the seeds on my plot,” he told StarMetro.
From one salak tree, Norman has cultivated over 1,000 trees.
Osman with the marinated goat meat products he sells at his farm in Kangkar Tebrau, Johor Baru.
“I check on my salak trees daily to see if they have flowers.
“After I manually pollinate the flowers, it will produce fruit in four months,” he said.
He added that his plantation was able to produce about 200kg of salak fruit annually.
Norman claims he is currently the only buah salak producer in Pontian, and he receives lots of orders from other parts of the peninsula.
He accepts orders via social media, allowing buyers to order directly and he sends the fruit via courier.
Norman said he planned to diversify by selling fresh salak fruit juice and opening a salak-themed cafe.
“Salak has a lot of health benefits and there is now a growing demand among locals for the fruit,” he said.
Rewards of raising ruminants
Goat farmer Osman Cheyakutty, 55, said he started rearing three goats at an early age to help his disadvantaged family.
“I left school after Standard Six and started to focus on rearing goats as a main source of income when I was 21 years old.
“I went through a lot of hardship.
Norman showing how he hand polinates salak tree flowers.
“However, in 1993, I bought five goats from New Zealand but back then, not many people knew about the benefits of consuming goat’s milk.
“Now, I have about 3,500 goats and sheep with 95% of them imported from Australia, Myanmar and Thailand,” he said.
He has two farms – in Seelong and Kangkar Tebrau.
According to Osman, his farming practices and facility design adhere to Australian guidelines to ensure optimum animal welfare.
“Initially (upon arrival), the goats and sheep will be placed at my Seelong farm where they will be given constant health checks and food.
“Once they reach their ideal weight, the goats and sheep are transferred to Kangkar Tebrau.
“My goats and sheep are constantly checked by Veterinary Department officials.
“I also send samples to a private lab to ensure my products’ high quality,” he said.
His farm produces about 90 litres of goat’s milk daily.
Norman inspecting salak trees he planted near his home in Pontian, Johor.
Osman said there had been an increase in demand for mutton from his farms over the years.
“People come to my Kangkar Tebrau farm to buy live goats and sheep for Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha.
“At my farm, I always emphasise on the importance of cleanliness of the animal pens.
“This also includes the slaughterhouse where the knives must be cleaned with hot water to prevent any bacterial infection,” he said.
Osman hopes to see more young people involved in animal husbandry to contribute to the state’s agriculture sector.
“I am working closely with a local university and government agencies.
“Students wanting to know more about goat farming are placed at my farm for three months where they receive practical training in caring for goats,” he said.
Even with his decades of rearing livestock, Osman said he regularly attended courses on ruminant care.
“Education and knowledge are very important in my line of business.
Azli says there are 1,800 fishermen in southern Johor waters.“With the advancement of technology and science, the industry is always evolving. As farmers, we must be knowledgeable,” he added.
Supplementing incomes
Johor South Fishermen’s Association chairman Azli Mohd Aziz, 58, said there were 1,800 fishermen in southern Johor waters, which extends from Tanjung Piai up to Sungai Tiram near Johor Baru.
He said development taking place along the coastline area had reduced the haul of local fishermen, affecting their livelihoods.
“However, for more than 20 years, with support coming from the Fisheries Department and Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM), more than 500 fishermen have been involved in cultivating mussels and clams.
“We are able to produce up to 20kg of mussels and clams every four to seven months and can generate up to RM1,000 in income with it,” said Azli.
