The efforts of a group of youths working on an abandoned reserve land yielded handsome returns when they managed to harvest up to 40 tonnes of seedless watermelons in the past three years at Felda Chiku 2, here.

Businessman Mohd Azaruriduwan Ghazali, 34, said the crops he worked with his wife Nurul Nadira Mohammad Fendi, 33 and two of his acquaintances were also marketed to Singapore through a wholesaler.

“We got permission from the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) to work on the 1.2-hectare reserve land, with an initial capital of more than RM40,000 for land clearing, plant seeds, fertiliser, fencing and maintenance.

“The watermelons sold to wholesalers only comprise grade A and they are also exported to Singapore by wholesalers. It is sold at a wholesale price between RM1.40 to RM3 per kg depending on the current price with a weight of up to 10 kg a fruit,” he said when met by reporters at Felda Chiku 2 here today.

According to him, in one year, they can plant between two to three seasons of watermelons depending on the weather conditions, as the fruit cannot be planted in the rainy season to avoid damage in a flood.

As for Mohamad Hafzan Mohammad Fendi, 29, he said he was proud of his job as a farmer at a young age, the seedless melons cultivation has been his source of income since 2020 until now.

“These melons do not need a long period to yield, we just need to take care of them and after 60 days of planting, they are ready to be harvested,” he said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency