However, the team at Kobuniti (Koperasi Kebuniti Selangor Berhad) in Shah Alam, is determined to debunk that belief, and promote farming as a fun hobby for those who wish to leave work and worries behind for a few hours to de-stress and earn some money while they’re at it.
Covering 15 acres, Kobuniti is a full-fledged farm, albeit in the city, equipped with efficient irrigation systems, greenhouses, soil and fertilisers, coupled with guidance from the experts – all for a small fee.
This vast area, located opposite a row of newly-constructed houses, is where a variety of vegetables and fruits are grown. These include lowland tomatoes, chili and okra, as well as melons and maize.
There is also a section where the fresh produce, once harvested, is bundled and displayed for sale.
Vegetables and fruits aside, there are also a few fishing ponds on the farm. The remaining land is divided into different plots ready for experimentation with other plants.
It’s quite hard to believe that it was only early this year that the small team at Kobuniti got down to the business of working the land, experimenting with the soil, procuring the right machinery and figuring out which crops were most suitable for harvesting.
“I wanted this land to be used for something sustainable, so that the young ones or anyone in need of land can utilise this vast space. Plus, with the rising cost of living, why waste money buying vegetables when one can pluck their own vegetables here?” said freelancer Zawiya Thani, who offers them her marketing expertise.
She said plots of land measuring 1.5 metres x 12 metres are rented for RM70 per month to those who wish to plant and harvest their own vegetables and fruits.
And for those who prefer the team at Kobuniti to tend the land for them, rental is RM100 per month.
“After that, one has the option to sell their crops to us or sell it at a wholesale price outside,” she said.
Zawiya added that agricultural students and fresh graduates can earn some pocket money by dedicating a few hours every day to working the land.
Farm manager Muhammad Faris Zubir, who has an agricultural degree, said he has spent the year mastering the intricacies of planting and harvesting a variety of melon – winter melon, muskmelon and golden melon.
He said that while he studied the basics of farming at university, it was only at Kobuniti that he was able to experience a hands-on approach to fertigation, the practice of applying fertiliser solutions with irrigation water.
Thanks to classes provided by Fama (Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority), Faris and his colleagues are now “master” farmers.
Beaming, Faris said that melons take 75 days to harvest, while chillies take about three months.
Faris said he and the other farmers take pride in the organic fertilisers and pesticides they have formulated in collaboration with local universities such as Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Mara.
“We are also looking into formulating our own fertilisers for sale. But that’s in the pipeline. And to make this place into a research hub so that even interns and graduates can find jobs here,” he said.
Faris, who has been working for two years now, said he hoped more fresh graduates and those from the B40 community would consider joining Kobuniti and take up farming as a form of sustainable employment.
Find out more about Kobuniti from their website or follow them on Instagram.
Kobuniti
Jalan Selasih U12/13
Cahaya Alam
Seksyen U12
40170 Shah Alam
Selangor
Business hours: 8.00am to 6.00pm. (closed on Sunday)