Bananas are such a common fruit that it’s hard to imagine anyone would be thrilled to see a bunch on the plant before they are harvested.
Yet, when a group of visitors at Selangor Fruit Valley in Bestari Jaya, Kuala Selangor passed by a row of pseudostems with clusters of fruit, the children pointed excitedly at the plants and shouted, “Look! Bananas! Bananas!”
Among those visiting the popular agrotourism destination was Rasimah Sukor from Rawang, with her grandchildren in tow.
“You can take a boat ride, pet animals and look at an actual fruit tree.
“It’s the children who stand to benefit the most, especially where educational value is concerned,” she said.
Children raised in the city, Rasimah said, might think that food comes from a supermarket.
“By realising that it takes time and effort to grow something, they will learn not to waste food,” she said.
Hairul Reazuan Asmayadi, general manager of a tour company that specialises in trips to farms in Sabak Bernam, has noted visitors being fascinated by fruits and vegetables being grown.
Hairul and his three partners decided to tap into the potential of local farm products in the area, given the significant flow of weekend traffic from the Klang Valley to northern Selangor.
The draw is the rustic setting amid lush padi fields where visitors are able to directly engage with local farmers and cottage industry owners.
The tour company’s target market is senior citizens.
Hairul observed that this market segment was also more willing to spend.
Another target market is families with young children.
“In the past three years, results have been encouraging.
“There are no fewer than three busloads of tourists to this destination on a weekly basis.
“This does not include independent travellers who flock to the area on weekends.
“As we see it, potential for agrotourism development in Sungai Panjang is high, especially with Sabak Bernam being included in the route map of West Coast Expressway (WCE).”
Hasni said in addition to the farms, the vast, green rice fields of Sungai Panjang were part of the agrotourism experience.
He also includes stops at cottage industries such as the coconut biscuit workshop run by Norleha Saderi at Jalan Parit 3 Timur.
Norleha (second from right) at her coconut biscuit workshop at Jalan Parit 3 Timur.
Set among padi fields, visitors are able to try samples while they take wefies.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest dilemmas of agro-based tours is the mismatch of supply and demand, says one tour coordinator.
“We may have visitors, but farms might have nothing to show at the time,” says Hasni Kassim, a mother of seven who plays a key role in selecting suitable farms for tour packages.
“However, when farms are bursting with produce, the holiday season may have come to an end,” said Hasni, who is also a micropreneur selling crisps made out of cassava.
Taste of farm life
While produce may be the highlight of tours, visitors are also intrigued by the farmers’ stories.
At Kampung Rancangan Tanah Belia (RTB) 2 in Banting, Kuala Langat district, for example, the tale of how birds’ eye chilli grower Zamri Hassan salvaged his plot after the 2021 floods washed his plants away, is an inspiring one.
Water which had risen to waist level washed all 1,500 of his poly bags away.
Determined to persevere, he and his wife reset the fertigation system for some 3,000 chilli plants by hand.
Even the owner of the Thai restaurant where visitors usually end their Sabak Bernam tour with a spicy helping of kam heong crabs, has an interesting story on how he changed fields.
It turns out that Mohd Syukri Daud, who operates in Bagan Sungai Besar, was formerly a padi planter from Teluk Intan, Perak.
He switched to the food business about a year ago after suffering losses amounting to RM10,000 when his rice fields were destroyed by floodwaters.
The move has proved lucrative to the former farmer, with the eatery bringing in a more reliable income.
Agrotourism rewards
Sekinchan in Sabak Bernam, also has its fair share of outdoor attractions, such as the Wishing Tree at Pantai Redang with its ribbon-festooned branches.
Another is the Paddy Gallery surrounded by lush, green rice fields.
Visitors taking advantage of scenic surroundings at a pineapple farm in Sungai Merab to take photos.
Allen Lim, managing director of PLS Marketing, a padi processing company that owns the gallery, recalls its humble beginnings.
“In 2006 I outfitted a 12m container with a small mill to show people how rice is processed.
“We also included information on how diseases like leaf cancer can affect yields,” said the father of four.
The sixth of 10 siblings, Lim came from a family of padi farmers.
He had grown up watching his mother, Pua Choon, sow seedlings by hand on their 4.85ha plot before the advent of machinery in the 1970s.
Lim said the idea of starting a visitor centre came about when the company was about to start its new rice mill.
“At first, not many people agreed with me. They would ask, ‘What’s nice to see in a factory?’
“But I wanted people to see how we processed our rice.
“Not only would this be educational, it would give them confidence in the quality of our products,” he said.
As part of his research, Lim travelled to Taiwan where rice fields are among the country’s tourist attractions.
By 2016, the container had grown into an air-conditioned gallery. Visitors could also, for a small fee and from behind a large glass windows, safely observe how rice is processed.
Some agrotourism spots such as Selangor Fruit Valley allow people to engage with and feed animals.
“Since its opening until now, the gallery has gone through two upgrades.
“In all, we have spent close to RM2mil on the development of this facility,” said Lim.
There is also a padi garden next door made up of 16 plots where visitors can experience the rice planting process.
Nineteen years on, Lim said he was glad to have incorporated the agrotourism aspect into his business activities.
“There were many times I could rely on the revenue from this sector for additional income,” he said.
The same is observed by pineapple grower Mohd Noorhardy Mohd Noorzain from Sungai Merab, Kajang in Hulu Langat district.
Mohd Noorhardy: Allowing visitors creates additional source of revenue.
Mohd Noorhardy observed that when a farmer made allowances for visitor arrivals, he was also creating an additional source of revenue.
Having started a cafe on his farm in 2019, the father of seven said agrotourism activities now contributed up to 70% of his business revenue.
However, he strongly advises those planning to venture into agrotourism to do their research.
Before opening his cafe, Mohd Noorhardy visited a tea plantation in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, a dairy farm in Kundasang, Sabah, and a durian orchard in Penang.
It was important, he said, that farmers identify their farm’s strengths.
“One of them could be the surrounding scenery.
“Creating Instagrammable spots where visitors can take selfies would help promote the place.
“The surrounding infrastructure, such as ample parking and proper access roads, must also be considered,” he added.
Another important point to consider is potential damage to the farm from the increase in foot traffic.
“People, especially young visitors who have never seen fruits growing in nature, may inadvertently lop a fruit off a plant.
“It is advisable to set aside 20% of the farm’s expenditure for damage.
“Signage to advise visitors to exercise caution are a way to raise awareness,” Mohd Noorhardy said.
Grants available
According to the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry portal, agrotourism grants to a maximum of RM200,000 are available to small and micro-enterprises with yearly sales revenues of not more than RM3mil.
Applicants will need to finance any balance that exceeds the government’s contribution.
The grants are extended to Malaysian citizens who cultivate crops and livestock, or run fishery and agricultural-based industries.
Applications can be made through the relevant agencies such as Fisheries Development Authority, Veterinary Services Department, Malaysian Pineapple Board and Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute.
The scope of aid for these grants are for the building of infrastructure and repair of entrance roads.
They also apply to sales galleries, toilets and visitor information centres as well as upgrades and building of drainage, piping systems and signage.
