Disabled farmer finds success in aquaponics
K. Murugan built his aquaponics rigs to grow vegetables and fruits.
He also created a food waste barrel that turns kitchen scraps into fertiliser.
Despite numerous challenges, the 51-year-old from Johor also dedicates time to impart his knowledge by teaching schoolchildren about aquaponics and sustainable farming practices.
The former excavator operator lost his right leg to an infection last year after working in the field for three decades.
With encouragement from his wife, A. Kogilavani, he turned to farming, an interest sparked by watching online videos.
The Johor Agriculture Department has recognised his efforts with 10 awards, including a gold medal at a competition.
Murugan hopes to save enough to buy a sturdy hydraulic prosthetic leg, which costs about RM20,000.
'Working long hours on the farm is tough with crutches, and normal prosthetics are not suitable for this type of work,' he said.
The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.
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