Spicing up income for the needy via chilli farming

Zulkifli (third from right) with the mock cheques from MAIWP Zakat Collection Centre and Agrobank to fund the Hijrah Asnaf Chilli Fertigation Farming Programme at Kompleks Darul Kifayah in Kuala Lumpur. MAIWP reports that the project yielded 16.7 tonnes of chillies in its first harvest.

The successful implementation of its Hijrah Asnaf Chilli Fertiga­tion Farming Programme has prompted the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) to expand the project area from 1.2ha to 2ha for its second season.

Minister in the Prime Minis­ter’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan said the programme demonstrated that equipping asnaf (tithe recipients) with modern agricultural skills could create opportunities for them to achieve greater self-reliance.

“The first harvest alone yielded more than 16.7 tonnes of chillies, generating returns exceeding RM207,000.

“The 10 participating individuals were equipped not only with fertigation knowledge but also with skills in marketing, finance and other relevant areas,” he said of the programme in collaboration with Agrobank.

Zulkifli said the programme also created opportunities for participants to venture into downstream activities by coming up with value-added chilli pro­ducts with potential for wider markets.

Asnaf Chilli Fertigation Farming Programme at Kompleks Darul Kifayah in Kuala Lumpur.

“They now have pickled chillies, green sambal and red sambal ready for the market.

“This demonstrates the skills our participants have acquired,” he told reporters after launching the harvest ceremony for the chilli fertigation project, at Wisma Darul Kifayah in Kuala Lumpur.

The project is funded through RM700,400 from Agrobank and RM147,600 from the MAIWP Zakat Collection Centre, with continuous technical guidance provided by Agrobank Centre of Excellence since September 2025, Bernama reported.

Programme participant Alinda Rosely, 49, said the initiative had helped her rebuild life as a single mother.

“This programme has greatly helped me get back on my feet because the fertigation knowledge I gained here is invaluable.

“Last year, when chilli prices were favourable, I earned RM40,000 within six months,” she said.

MAIWP reports that the project yielded 16.7 tonnes of chillies in its first harvest.

MAIWP said it would also screen potential candidates and provide monthly allowances to enable participants to commit to the programme without being burdened by daily living expenses.

The initiative is in line with MAIWP’s mission to develop a self-reliant and competitive asnaf community, with the ultimate aim of enabling beneficiaries to progress from zakat recipients to zakat payers.

As of Aug 12, MAIWP had distributed RM699.57mil in zakat through 38 welfare assistance schemes, in addition to funding asnaf capacity-building initiatives and education programmes under institutions wholly owned by the council.