PETALING JAYA: A typical day for an accountant who owns a coconut farm in Melaka is not like any other.
“Relaxing under the swaying coconut trees and sipping freshly plucked coconut water while overlooking the canal is the ultimate relaxation for body and mind,” said accountant firm managing partner and farm owner Christine Koh.
“Instead of staring at a laptop and sitting down all day, I can work on the farm, which promotes better health with fresh air and exercise,” she added.
Koh said the 23-acre (9.3ha) family-owned agricultural land in Klebang Besar, Melaka was first purchased in 2021, and initially started as part of a long-term investment plan to venture into plantation and as her father’s retirement plan.
However, it later turned into something bigger.
“We built a villa in the coconut farm, initially intended as my parents’ retirement house.
The villa, initially built as a retirement home, turned into a staycation destination for family and friends to hold gatherings.
The villa, initially built as a retirement home, turned into a staycation destination for family and friends to hold gatherings.
“Later, many people expressed interest in staying overnight, so we ventured into agrotourism by adding glamping domes and glamping tents,” she said.
The Glamping domes at the farm lights up to provide visibility to visitors at night.
The glamping tents fit up to four people, with air-conditioning and wireless charging.
Koh said she also has a personal attachment to the area.
“My father was brought up in that area, and myself too, so we have a strong sentimental attachment to this location.
“Initially, we bought 16 acres (6.5ha) of padi field land and converted it to a coconut plantation because coconut has a higher commercial value and is easier to maintain.”
Subsequently, they bought another seven acres (2.8ha) of mature coconut farm from their neighbour, making it a 23-acre coconut farm, she said.
“Currently, there are seven acres of mature coconut trees that are producing coconuts that we sell to the local market.”
She said meanwhile, the remaining 16 acres of new planting are expected to start producing in two years.
“We planted Tacunan, Pandan, Matag, Pink Coconut, and Macapuno (jelly coconuts).
“Pink Coconut and Macapuno are new to the Malaysian market, and we are excited for them to start fruiting,” she added.
However, Koh said running the farm was not without its challenges.
She said that since the padi field was prone to flooding, they dug canals and added soil for planting bed preparation to prevent waterlogging or flooding in the planting area.
“These canals not only prevent flooding but also serve as water retention systems for irrigation.
The water canals that serve as a water retention system and to collect harvested coconuts
“We planned the farm layout so that harvested coconuts can drop into the water to avoid breaking.
“Additionally, since coconuts are heavy, we use the canal to float them to the collection point,” she said.
Koh said their family also faced various other challenges, such as ensuring proper fertilisation, maximising land use, heavy cash outflow, and shortage of staff.
Meanwhile, an engineer who requested anonymity said he bought agricultural land in 2013 to build a house, either for rent or as his own dwelling.
“I bought the land at my hometown in Perak as it is a location which I’m familiar with,” he said.
He said he had built the house on the land using only his savings and through a personal loan.
“It is a complicated process to build a house on agricultural land although the land is under your own name.
“There are certain requirements that are needed if you want to apply for a bank loan to build the house, such as the land must be next to a public road,” he said.
The man said if there isn’t any public access to the land, the road has to be built by the land owner, with the cost borne by the owner.
“We also have to appoint a consultant to deal with the local council, it’s difficult to handle it on your own,” he said.
A writer who only wanted to be known as Farisha said she and her siblings bought four acres (1.6ha) of agricultural land in Simpang Pulai, Perak to be developed into a farm.
“We realise that land value keeps on rising, so it’s better to have some assets.
“However, we don’t have a concrete plan for developing the land laid out yet, but personally, I would prefer rearing goats or venturing into plantations,” she said.
Source Agencies
