Venturing into modern farmingKundasang farmers turn to aquaponics

KUALA LUMPUR: In the cool, hilly area of Kundasang in Ranau, about 100km from Kota Kinabalu, a small group of young farmers are trying their hand at cultivating vegetables using aquaponics and hydroponic techniques.

Under the guidance of the Kinabalu Area Farmers Organisation (PPK), the farmers in Kampung Desa Aman in Kundasang have gone into aquaponics and hydroponics since last December.

Their ventures are proving to be lucrative and PPK Kinabalu intends to encourage more young farmers to grow vegetables using these modern and more sustainable techniques

According to PPK Kinabalu general manager Muhammad Irwan Maruji, the whole cultivation process in aquaponics, starting from planting the seedlings until they were ready for harvesting, took about three to four weeks.

“Vegetables harvested from a 223sqm block of aquaponics plants can rake in about RM5,600 in sales a month.

“The capital to start an aquaponics venture, including setting up the pond and a 223sqm block and greenhouse, comes to about RM85,000.

The investment, however, is worthwhile when compared to the returns,” Muhammad Irwan said.

Aquaponics farming, he said, was suitable for young entrepreneurs keen to get involved in agriculture.

In aquaponics farming, aquaculture (rearing of aquatic animals such as freshwater fish or prawns in tanks) is combined with hydroponics (cultivating plants without

soil) in an integrated system where the aquatic waste serves as nutrients for the plants which, in turn, purifies the water in the tank.

Pointing out that vegetable farmers in Kundasang and other parts of Sabah were badly hit during the initial stage of the movement control order, Muhammad Irwan said under the Federal Government’s Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Plan (Prihatin), each PPK in Sabah was allocated RM100,000 to RM200,000 to revitalise the agricultural sector.

Elaborating on PPK Kinabalu’s aquaponics venture with local farmers on a 2.83ha site in Kampung Desa Aman, Muhammad Irwan said vegetables such as red coral lettuce, green coral lettuce, mustard plant and celery were being cultivated as they were suitable for aquaponics farming.

As for the aquatic component, tilapia fish and catfish are being reared.

“Aquaponics vegetables are chemical-free as no other fertiliser is used with the exception of fish waste,” Muhammad Irwan said.

Sabah State Farmers Organisation (PPN) acting general manager Mohd Sabri Jalaludin, meanwhile, said with the allocation his agency received under Prihatin, they planned to implement a cattle fattening project which was expected to have a positive impact on the state’s economic cycle.

In view of the project’s potential to contribute to the growth of the state’s gross domestic product, Mohd Sabri said they planned to increase the cattle to 320 heads by next year.