Preparing Farm

How did I manage to harvest sweet GU8 (Kampuchea Guava) from my farms?.. It was 18 months ago when we started to open new guava farm at Sekijang, Segamat, Johor together with 8 other Group of selected farmers. This is the happiest moment for plucking the first guava fruit from the immature tree that we planted 18 month ago. It was a sweet, crispy and tasty fruit and we enjoy our success in growing 25 hectares of guava farm mixed with other vegetable and short terms crops.

Mr Jailani and Mr Razik upon harvesting the 500-600 gram per fruit ready for grading and cleaning process. He was offered a RM 0.70 - RM 0.90 per kilogram of fruit ex-farm (Inclusive transp[ortation costs to ablut 30 km distance to the collection center at Segamat Town). The amount harvested alternate days about 1.2 - 2.5 metric ton.

The seedling about 3 months old planted at 6 m x 6m planting distance to provide about 270 -300 plants per hectare. The seedling was inspected bu Department of Agriculture Officer Mr Mohd Anim and his team from suspected possible disease and pests. No soil was allowed together with the seedlings to ensure of non-existence of Nematode problems.

Ploughing with 70 hp tractor to ensure proper land preparation as recommended within Good Agriculture Practice System. The cost about RM 450 per hectare and the whole area need 5 days to complete land preparation. The installation of irrigation system with mainline HDPE piping system and secondary piping system completed soon after land preparation.

My team from Agriculture Office inspect the soil suitability study and the irrigation plan and their design. The 56 hp Hyundai waterpump are calculated capable of supplying clean water from Segamat River for guava and vegetable crops.

Down stream was a river sand activity that cause some issue to our pump house and the waterpump. The water lavel become low and dirty due the the sand mining activity. The farmers group complained to local authority about this issue but as usual...no action was taken for many months. It was a disturbance in farmers mind every day.

This is the RB Machine to collect sands for commercial use. The price per lorry about RM 100-RM 150 at location and upon reach to construction site priced about RM 300 - RM 450 per lorry. It was the story of last preparing farm 10 years ago...

By,

M Anem

Segamat