Grass sales double as farmers prepare livestock for Aidiladha

TANAH MERAH, July 7  (Bernama) -- Construction worker Mohamad Zulhimi Zakaria, 30, never expects his part-time grass selling business, which he started about a year ago, to receive such a good response with sales almost doubled with the approaching Aidiladha celebration.

He attributed the high demand for the grass, especially from livestock breeders,  to the increase in the price of animal feed.

“I started this grass farming on a one-acre piece of land which I own  near Kampung Chawas, here, after obtaining the grass seeds from a friend.  The grass grows well and when it has grown to about 40 to 50 centimetres high, I’ll cut and sell the grass for RM7 a sack," he told Bernama when met at his house near Kampung Manal, here today.

Mohamad Zulhimi said the grass would grow to such a height after one to two months.

“Normally, I’m able to cut to up to seven sacks of grass a day,” he said, adding that his customers were livestock farmers in the village and the surrounding areas.

"I did not expect the income from selling grass that I have been getting lately to double to almost RM1,200 compared to only  RM500 to RM600 which I managed to get a month before,” he said, adding that he also made use of the social media, like Facebook, to promote his grass business.

Meanwhile, cattle farmer Suhairi Abdullah, 40, said he had to feed his livestock with grass as he could not afford to buy the animal feed.

"This grass is the choice for livestock farmers like me to feed our cattle because we need to make sure the animals are well-fed and healthy before they can be slaughtered for the Aidiladha sacrifice,” he added.

-- BERNAMA