A Malaysian couple who once worked at a massive vineyard in Australia decided to take a leap of faith after returning home, putting RM50,000 of their savings into starting their own chilli farm.
Nur Muhamad Asyraf Kamal Ariffin, and his wife Mira Mursidah Sanip, are now growing centil chillies using a fertigation system at their farm in Johor.
Worked at 100-hectare vineyard in Australia
According to Asyraf, both he and his wife hold diplomas in culinary arts and previously ran a food business in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan.
According to Kosmo!, after the business did not work out as planned, the couple moved to Australia in 2019 in search of new opportunities.
They made the move without the help of an agent and eventually found work at a vineyard, where they earned around AU$1,200, equivalent to roughly RM3,000 at the time.
The couple spent two years working at the 100 hectare vineyard, where they got a close look at how crops were managed on a large scale.
Asyraf said the experience sparked their interest in agriculture and planted the idea of starting their own farm once they returned to Malaysia.
Put RM50,000 of their savings into the farm
After their time at the vineyard, Asyraf also worked at a beef slaughtering and processing facility that prepared meat for export.
When the couple eventually returned to Malaysia, they decided to settle in the village with Mira’s father, who had retired and moved back after previously working in Selangor.
With farming still on their minds, they decided to grow centil chillies using the fertigation method and invested around RM50,000 of their savings into the project.
The money was used to clear the land and purchase farming structures, fertigation equipment and other necessities.
First harvest produced around 1,500kg of chillies
The couple started with 700 polybags on around half an acre of land.
Their gamble soon paid off.
During their first planting season, the farm managed to produce around 1,500kg of centil chillies.
The chillies were then sold to local grocery shops as well as through the Benut Area Farmers’ Organisation sales centre.
For Asyraf and Mira, the years spent working abroad ultimately became valuable experience that they could bring home and turn into a new livelihood.
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