Bachok farmers make RM32 mln from growing watermelons, pumpkins, sweet potatoes

BACHOK, Feb 12 -- About 10,000 farmers along the coast of Bachok are able to generate an overall income of over RM32 million a year by growing watermelons, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.

Deputy Agriculture and Food Industries Minister II, Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi, said over 90 per cent of the total income was derived from watermelon crops on 1,290 hectares of land, which were cultivated twice a year and could provide a return of RM29 million.

“A majority of them (farmers) are former tobacco farmers and fishermen who are unable to go to the sea during the monsoon season,” he told reporters during a watermelon harvesting event in Kampung Kandis here, today.

He said the pumpkin crops on a 77-hectare land have generated RM2 million while the sweet potatoes, which were cultivated once a year on a 400-hectare land, generated an income of RM1 million.

Che Abdullah said the crops were sold to buyers from Penang, Kuala Lumpur and several renowned supermarkets.

On shortage of animal feeds and increase in their prices, he said the ministry through various departments and agencies would monitor the situation so as to ensure the prices would not increase further and burden the farmers.

“We cannot avoid price hike because we depend on imported materials,” Che Abdullah said.

He added that the ministry would also encourage farmers to produce their own animal feeds by utilising agriculture waste such as from corns or growing Napier grass which is easy to manage.

“We will conduct campaigns and provide courses to farmers on how to plant the grass and process it to produce animal feed,” he said.

-- BERNAMA