Small-time Kundasang farmers getting help to get produce to market

KOTA KINABALU: Small-time farmers in Kundasang, Sabah are being helped by a group of people to sell their produce in areas outside the district – in an environmentally-friendly manner.

Entrepreneurs like 32-year-old Azizul Jalirin and other part-time runners have switched to reusable bags when delivering goods.

He said they started distribution a few days after the movement control order (MCO) was implemented as he was concerned that unsold vegetables were going to waste.

"At first we used plastic bags, but soon after, Zero Waste Sabah leader Ruth Yap contacted me and suggested that we use reusable bags," he said.

He said he posted on Facebook page if anyone was interested to buy and help distribute vegetables and other crops to buyers to surrounding areas.

Azizul said that the initiative has benefited over 100 farmers in Kundasang.

He said the response exceeded his expectations and started their first delivery out of Kundasang on March 24.

Azizul said that his main task is to gather farmers and link them with distributors, and the distributors will then give the orders to runners.

"Vegetables will be sent door-to-door based on their orders," he said adding that each farmer could earn up to RM200 per transaction.

"I told them to keep farming and not to lose hope as there was now a platform available to sell their produce," he said.