KUALA TERENGGANU, July 9 — Edamame or immature soybean (locally known as kacang bulu) is not a familiar crop to the locals here, however, the Japan-originated bean is seen to have a potential for lucrative return due to its high demand.
Agropreneur Muhammad Fahmi Ismail, 27, told Bernama that he had begun his edamame project in 2016, after realizing its major potential for side income.
The bean, which is usually served as side dishes in Japanese restaurants and also sold as snacks in the 24-hour (7-Eleven) outlets, is crunchy and rich in taste.
“The plant is easy to grow and maintain, with no pest problem and uncomplicated care routine.
“The price at the farm is at RM10 per kilogram (kg) and can reach RM15 per kg in the open market”, said the father of three, who earned almost RM10,000 for one tonne of edamame, which he planted during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
His hard work had caught the attention of the Terengganu Department of Agriculture who provided assistance of RM10,000 through the Young Agropreneur Grant in 2018.
Muhammad Fahmi said that through the grant he has received several types of equipment, among them lawnmower, land plowing machine, and various fertilizers for his 0.4 hectares farm in Wakaf Mempelam.
He also hired five workers to carry out work such as pulling out plants’ roots and harvesting the beans.
With their help, Muhammad Fahmi was able to balance his permanent job as a used car salesman in his brother’s company and the work on the farm.
“‘Alhamdullilah’ (praise be to Allah), the demand is always there and I also market my edamame through social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram as well as on WhatsApp application.
“There are also wholesalers who send the product to customers by using courier services”, quipped Muhammad Fahmi who encouraged others to work on this crop due to the profitable return.
Sources: BERNAMA