FARMERS EARNS RM12,000 FROM BANANA

IN POKOK SENA, KEDAH, MALAYSIA the banana cluster farming project in Kampung Paya Besar near here has generated an income of RM12,000 a month for three farmers. The project has been carried out by Abu Bakar Don, 56, together with his two partners on a five-hectare land since 2016. "We get a full assistance from the district Agriculture Department and the Pokok Sena District Office among others in terms of the fund to clear the forest, to build two reservoirs and irrigation system," he told Bernama when met today. Abu Bakar said each banana plant could produce a fruit bunch weighing about 25 kg and it could be sold for RM2.50 per kg. "We can earn about RM3,000 a week and about RM12,000 a month by selling the Berangan banana. We have no problem marketing the fruit because the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA) would buy them. Traders would also buy the bananas for the market in Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kelantan and some other states in the peninsula," he said. He said that the banana cluster farming started when the Pokok Sena Agriculture Department offered him to carry out the project in view of the high potential and demand as well as lucrative returns.  "Growing banana is not as complicated as people may think, it just needs enough water and fertiliser and it will produce fruits in nine months," he said. Source:  Bernama

By,

M Anim,

Melaka City, Melaka,

Malaysia.

August 2020