From Master’s candidate to farmboy, Azizul Julirin managed to figure out a way to earn five figures a month, much more than what many bankers and professionals in the city earn!
With just 4,800 sq ft (equivalent to two houses), the former University of Malaysia (UMS) Masters student grows up to 10,000 plants, fetching roughly RM13,000 per cycle.
He produces up to 1.2 tonnes of crops per cycle of 25 days to be sold and exported outside of Ranau.
He even supplies his Grade-A green coral lettuces to McFoods in Sabah, the subsidiary responsible for supplying the raw materials needed by McDonald’s to produce their burgers and meals.
Following the 2015 Ranau earthquake, Azizul suffered a devastating loss. Vast amount of crops died because the entire water supply system for his farm was damaged.
That led him to seek an alternative farming method…… aquaponics.
Aquaponic farming is a modern farming technique that is both high yield and low maintenance.
It is a sustainable methodology because crops do not rely on land use to thrive. It is also healthy because the use of pesticide is drastically reduced.
For Azizul, the estimated RM100,000 initial cost is worth it because he managed to break-even in less than a year. (Do the maths. RM13,000 X 8 months = RM104,000)
By the eight month, Azizul was already making money.
Since the tourism industry is grinded to a halt post-COVID 19, maybe this is an opportunity for Sabahans to discover more alternative career paths?
Maybe aquaponics farming is the way to go for Sabah’s next generation of high-income earners?
