MOST of us would like to earn money doing something we enjoy; some of us may be fortunate enough to have the opportunity. However, those that do succeed are relatively uncommon.
In his spare time in 2019, 66-year-old Mohd Omar began growing about thirty Callina papaya trees. He had no idea that his enthusiasm would completely alter his course, as he started getting requests for more papayas.
“The fruit has thick, red flesh. I noticed the potential of my hobby after many people started to demand for it, so I tried to triple the supplies.” He noted.
Omar currently manages 1.6 hectares of land with over 2,500 papaya trees, up from only 30 trees. According to Sinar Harian, Omar, a former contractor, is not going to give up on what he now has.
He even requested his son to assist him in managing a further 1.6 hectares of farm.
For Omar, business is flourishing. He harvests over 1,000 kg of papayas a day on average, and there is a huge market for the fruit since no one else now grows papayas for a living.
However, regretfully, Omar continues to have difficulties with the supply as it’s not enough to meet the demand on the market.
Furthermore, Omar acknowledged that while his business is not particularly difficult, it is nonetheless vulnerable to hazards.
The weather’s unpredictability is Omar’s nemesis.
“Rainy season will easily cause damages to the fruits,“ he continued. When the papayas flooded the last time, I lost about RM20,000.”
The retired plantation owner declared that anyone interested in learning more about the plantation may count on him to be more than delighted to do so.
Omar is currently offering 3kg of fruit for RM10 at a stand he has set up next to his farm, Betik Callina.
