Modern farmer Mohd Shah Safiq Hamran is proving that agribusiness is not a stereotypical ‘kampung’ profession but can be a desirable career path as it can change the fortunes of families with a lucrative income.

In just one year, the 25-year-old young farming entrepreneur has generated an income of more than RM10,000 a month by cultivating various vegetable crops on 4.04 hectares (10 acres) of land at Batu Kikir in Jempol.

The best overall student of University College Agroscience Malaysia (UCAM), a private higher education institution (IPTS) wholly owned by the Rubber Industry Smallholder Development Authority (RISDA), said his success was driven by government assistance including business loans, entrepreneurship courses to expand his business in the agricultural sector.

“I practise group farming on government land, among the modern methods I use in agriculture includes drones and other technologies to ensure productivity runs smoothly.

“I am not from a well-to-do family and owe my success to the support of my mother and brother…when I was studying they were the ‘backbone’ but since my brother’s demise in April, I have turned breadwinner to help the family,” he said.

The recipient of the Minister of Rural and Regional Development (Best Overall Graduate) Award said this after the 20th UCAM Convocation at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) here today.

Mohd Shah, who is also the owner of Nourish Greater Green Enterprise, said he has been cultivating vegetables through fertigation (applying fertiliser solutions via irrigation) and conventional methods since last year, with the help of five foreign workers.

The UCAM Bachelor of Agricultural Science graduate said among his crops are okra (ladies fingers), mustard greens, eggplant and maman leaves which are among the highest in demand from customers in this state.

He said that graduates in the agricultural sector actually have a bright opportunity to become entrepreneurs, saying there is no need to be dependent on finding work with a monthly salary upon graduation.

“While at university, I learned to be independent and made additional income from selling used clothes, from there I learned how to do business,” he said.

Mohd Shah also wants to expand his business by opening a food factory or venture into livestock.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency