Hailing from Pasir Puteh, a father to seven kids has hit the golden jackpot after his newfound hobby of planting papayas has managed to earn him over RM20,000 a month.
66yo M’sian earns over RM20,000 from his hobby, planting papayas
According to local newspaper Sinar Harian, Mohamed Omar shared that back in 2019, he had planted over 30 papaya trees as a way to kill time. As the papaya trees come into fruition, he was surprised to find out that the papayas were very fragrant and plump.
“Many were asking for the papayas and soon enough the demand for my papayas have increased significantly”, he said.
Source: Sinar Harian
Due to the demand for his papayas, the ex-contractor hasn’t been able to take a breather. Seeing that it’s a great opportunity, Mohamed Omar then decided to go commercial by expanding his land to over 1.6 hectares. Starting with only 30 trees, Omar now owns over 2,500 papaya trees, producing up to 1,000kg papayas a day!
However, despite producing up to 1,000kg of papayas a day, he revealed that it isn’t enough to fulfill local needs. Other than supplying papayas to the locals, he also operates a stall by the roadside selling papayas at RM10 for 3kg.
Source: Sinar Harian
Not as easy as it seems
When asked about the challenges he faced, the man shared that growing the papaya trees require certain knowledge as the tress can get diseases that’ll impact the fruits.
“Especially during the monsoon season, the rain will cause the papayas to break down easily”, he added.
Source: Sinar Harian
He also revealed that back in 2023, he had lost tens and thousands of ringgits as the crops were flooded. As for the life expectancy of the tree, he mentioned that a papaya tree could live up to 3 years, bearing fruits constantly. With the help of RISDA (Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority), Omar is able to expand further.
“I’m willing to share my expertise to those who are interested in venturing into this industry”, he said, adding that his son will be assisting him with his work.
Source: Sinar Harian
We’re happy to see that Omar is able to find a job that is not only his passion project but also help sustain his family’s livelihood! All the best in your ventures Omar!
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