JASIN: Unpredictable weather is no longer a hindrance but has instead become an advantage to local watermelon growers, who are leveraging seasonal variations across the country to sustain year-round production.
Entrepreneur Koh Eng Koon said differences in rainfall patterns between the northern and southern parts of Peninsular Malaysia allow for staggered planting, preventing supply disruptions in the market.
“Based on my over 30 years of experience, I have observed that weather patterns in Malaysia shift from north to south. So when it starts raining in the northern states, I start planting in the south.
“The weather is becoming more extreme, but if we understand the patterns and plan planting properly, we can still maintain supply,” he told Bernama.
He said the strategy of planting across multiple states ensures production remains unaffected while reducing the risk of losses due to extreme weather in any single location.
“So far, we have farms in almost all states except Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak.
“At each location, we limit planting to around 300 to 500ha. This way, if one area is affected, we still have other locations as backup,” said Koh, who started with just 1.6ha of land in Tiang Dua, Melaka, in the early 1980s.
JASIN: Unpredictable weather is no longer a hindrance but has instead become an advantage to local watermelon growers, who are leveraging seasonal variations across the country to sustain year-round production.
Entrepreneur Koh Eng Koon said differences in rainfall patterns between the northern and southern parts of Peninsular Malaysia allow for staggered planting, preventing supply disruptions in the market.
“Based on my over 30 years of experience, I have observed that weather patterns in Malaysia shift from north to south. So when it starts raining in the northern states, I start planting in the south.
“The weather is becoming more extreme, but if we understand the patterns and plan planting properly, we can still maintain supply,” he told Bernama.
He said the strategy of planting across multiple states ensures production remains unaffected while reducing the risk of losses due to extreme weather in any single location.
“So far, we have farms in almost all states except Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak.
“At each location, we limit planting to around 300 to 500ha. This way, if one area is affected, we still have other locations as backup,” said Koh, who started with just 1.6ha of land in Tiang Dua, Melaka, in the early 1980s.
