MAAHAD TAHFIZ AL-AHMAD RIDES ON GOLDEN MELON CULTIVATION TO FUND AMINISTRATION COST

By Syed Iylia Hariz Al-Qadri Syed Izman

TAPAH, April 19 (Bernama) -- In an effort to generate funds so as to cover operating costs, Maahad Tahfiz Al-Ahmad, Kampung Kassim in the Ayer Kuning State Legislative Assembly (DUN) area here has seized a golden opportunity in the agricultural sector to cultivate Golden Melon Sweet Sea.

Maahad tahfiz, which houses more than 40 asnaf students for free, started planting 1,000 melon trees in 2023 which teachers and students cultivated the fruits and the harvested fruits are later sold to locals and through the TikTok application.

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Senior Teacher of Maahad Tahfiz Administration, Shrol Hisam Mahayudin said the institution's efforts had received the attention of the government which provided an injection of RM100,000 through the MADANI Community Welfare Programme (SejaTi MADANI) fund in October last year.

"This SejaTi MADANI programme has completely changed the landscape of our lives. It is not just financial assistance, but a spirit that burns our souls to keep trying," he told Bernama.

He said the 0.08-hectare fertigation farm on the waqf land currently has 2,500 Golden Melon Sweet Sea trees capable of generating an income of almost RM80,000 per year.

Shrol Hisam said Golden Melon Sweet Sea has four planting cycles, with each cycle capable of producing 1,600 melons which are sold at RM15 per kilogramme.

He said the Golden Melon Sweet Sea grown is a premium variety imported from Japan, well known for its exceptional sweetness and soft texture.

The fruits produced have a sweetness level of between 15 to 16 Brix (almost equal to the maximum scale of 20 Brix for fruits) thus making them among the highest quality melons.

Elaborating further, Shrol Hisam said the assistance of various agencies including the Batang Padang District Agriculture Office and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has accelerated the transformation of the plantation, including the provision of water borrowing machine facilities and the development of modern fertilisation systems.

He said the farm applies an Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart farming system, including an automatic fertilization system that can be controlled via smartphones.

In addition, Shrol Hisam shared that they also played the recitation of the holy verses of the Quran 24 hours a day through loudspeakers in the planting area which not only calmed the atmosphere, but also had a positive effect on the growth and yield of crops.

Meanwhile, he said they also plan to build a new two-storey building equipped with dormitories and halls, as well as expand the melon plantation in the next phase of development.

Meanwhile, Farmers' Organisation Authority (LPP) chairman Datuk Mahfuz Omar when met said the government provides various incentives to those who want to develop agricultural projects or venture into such field.

These include the Agri-Perintis, Young Agropreneur (GAM) and Rise Up programmes, each of which provides start-up grants and financial matching assistance based on the needs and level of development of entrepreneurs' projects.

He also drew attention to the increasing interest among young people and professionals to venture into agriculture, including those who previously experienced a mismatch between fields of study and career.

-- BERNAMA