Who would’ve thought that switching from engineering to farming could bring in a five-figure income every month?
That’s exactly what happened when a Malaysian man decided to trade in his electrical engineering career for a shot at chilli farming and it paid off handsomely.
From circuits to chilli plants
Armed with an engineering degree and a patch of family-owned land measuring just 0.4 hectares, he took a leap of faith and ventured into agriculture, specifically, fertigation farming of bird’s eye chilli.
With around 1,100 chilli plants thriving under his care, the farm now produces between 50 to 70 kilograms of chillies daily during harvest season.
Thanks to the strong market demand, he now earns a five-figure income every month just from selling chillies.
Market demand & solid returns
Bird’s eye chillies, known for their fiery kick, are in high demand and fetch between RM10 to RM30 per kilogram depending on market conditions and regional competition, especially from neighbouring Thailand.
According to Harian Metro, the chillies are packed and sent to the Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) in Tunjong twice a week after harvesting.
He shared that it takes about two months for the plants to mature, and once they do, they can be harvested multiple times a week for nearly six months, making it a reliable source of income.
Learning from failure
Like most success stories, his wasn’t without setbacks. He once lost an entire batch of crops to the Mosaic Virus, a devastating plant disease.
But instead of giving up, he bounced back stronger.
That did not break my spirit. It motivated me to learn more about agriculture, and now I’ve managed to achieve success.”
Building a farming community
To level up his skills, he stays connected with a group of fellow farmers via WhatsApp, where they discuss best practices, fertiliser formulas, and disease prevention tips.
Through this shared network, he’s constantly learning and improving the quality of his produce.
With grit, adaptability, and a whole lot of chilli, he proved that farming is far from a dead-end job, it might just be the key to thriving.
What do you think about this? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
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