MOHAMAD Zainul Hilmi Mohamad Wajdi traded a career in psychology for agriculture in 2018 and hasn’t looked back since.
The Bachelor of Psychology graduate from Upper Iowa University in the United States took the leap of faith as he wagered that turkey farming – a niche market in Malaysia – was ripe for growth.
Today, his Santing Agri Farm is proving him right, generating annual revenue of up to RM400,000.
“During festive seasons such as Christmas, market demand can surge to 6,000 birds,” the 33-year-old told Bernama.
He said demand for turkey was particularly high in the northern region.
“I started with 80 birds and have since grown to 2,000,” he said at his farm in Padang Rengas, Perak.
Zainul doesn’t just raise birds, he engineers them.
On his family’s 2ha plot, he developed the Kellas Turkey, which is a hardy hybrid of Nicholas, Black Spanish, Kelly and local Bronze breeds.
“Unlike imports, the Kellas is built for the Malaysian heat.
“It matures faster and produces the lean, high-protein meat preferred by the premium market.
“Turkey meat is lower in fat and rich in protein.
“It usually takes four to five months before the birds weighing between three and six kilo-grammes are ready to be sold.”
Zainul also manages his own breeding programme, hatching eggs on-site.
A turkey can produce up to 70 eggs per year before its productivity gradually declines.
Success didn’t come without a price.
In the early days, Zainul’s lack of experience cost him tens of thousands of ringgit when hundreds of birds died due to improper farming techniques.
“For the first 12 weeks after hatching, turkeys require intense management,” he said.
He sought technical guidance from the Veterinary Services Department and secured marketing support from Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama).
Then, a RM35,000 financing from Agrobank allowed him to scale up, moving his products from a small farm in Perak to the shelves of major hypermarkets.
In terms of pricing, live turkeys are sold at RM25 to RM35 per kg, while processed birds fetch between RM55 and RM75 per kg.
Zainul is now part of a rising tide of modern agropreneurs.
Agrobank president Tengku Datuk Ahmad Badli Shah Raja Hussin said Zainul was one of over 4,500 farmers in Perak receiving financing to modernise Malaysia’s food supply chain.
“The financing is channelled through various schemes and funds are offered based on applicants’ needs and programme availability for the year,” he said.
