Kampung sri kulim melor: Driven by a deep passion for agriculture, two brothers have been commercially cultivating cucumbers and chillies through fertigation on their family land since 2024, proving that young people can turn farming into a sustainable source of income.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Alif Irfan Badrul Hisyam, 26, said his interest in agriculture was nurtured from his school days, when he often helped his father tend crops in the backyard after classes and during holidays. The second of seven siblings shared that his younger brother, Ahmad Alimi, 19, who was still in Form Four at the time, also joined in, enabling them to master the full crop cycle, from constructing farm structures and preparing irrigation systems to seed planting and harvesting.
"We learnt from our father and friends who are experienced in agriculture. We would go and see how they do it before trying it ourselves," Alif Irfan explained. Initially, they built the plant structure using bamboo, but it was washed away by floods. They later replaced it with an iron structure at the end of 2025, which proved to be stronger and more durable.
Alif Irfan mentioned that his family had invested almost RM20,000 into the fertigation project, receiving support from the State Agriculture Department, which provided equipment such as iron structures and water tanks to fortify the crop system. Currently, the project utilizes about 1,500 polybags for crops, with plans to increase this number to 2,000, as there is still room for expansion.
The brothers opted for the fertigation system because it is more practical, particularly in minimizing the risk of flood damage, and it is suitable for crops such as cucumbers, chillies, and aubergine, with the polybags placed approximately two and a half feet above ground level. Alif Irfan noted that cucumbers take about a month to reach maturity and can be harvested continuously due to their fast daily growth. In contrast, chillies take around three months to mature but have a longer harvesting period.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Alimi expressed that despite challenges posed by weather, pests, and fluctuating market prices, they remain enthusiastic about continuing the project. They believe that with diligence, agriculture can be a profitable career. The brothers are targeting around two tonnes of cucumbers per crop season, with plans to further expand the venture.