Former engineer supports community with flourishing kantan biz
TAIPING : Kantan, or torch ginger, complements the flavours of dishes like asam pedas, laksa and kerabu. It can also become a profitable source of income for those with the right vision and opportunity.
For former engineer Abdul Halim Abdul Majid from Trong here, venturing into kantan farming has not only provided him a steady income but also a means of helping the community.
Speaking with Bernama, the 50-year-old said his business partner Mohammad Hazwan Mohamad Nor had suggested they focus on producing kantan seeds instead of just flowers.
'Seeds can be germinated from the flower itself rather than using rhizomes (plant stems that produce shoots and roots) like ginger or turmeric,' explained Abdul Halim, who is the project manager of Kantan Taiping.
In 2022, they produced 800 seedlings in about three months, each reaching 20cm in height. Soon after, bulk orders came in – 300 plants at a time – confirming high market demand.
To date, they have produced over 15,000 seedlings, marketed primarily through Facebook. Buyers come from Perak as well as Johor, Kelantan, Pahang, Kedah and Perlis.
Seeing an opportunity help others in his community, Abdul Halim encouraged tithe recipients and low-income groups to use their own yards for kantan seedling cultivation.
He said several households have since cultivated between 2,000 and 3,000 seedlings, which his team buys back to boost their earnings. Depending on size and age, seedlings sell for RM3.50 to RM60.
Abdul Halim and Hazwan with their ikan bilis and bunga kantan sambal, which they hope to market overseas. (Bernama pic)
Additionally, Abdul Halim and Hazwan have diversified into downstream products, including kantan flower sambal bilis, which has received encouraging market response. They hope to bring the product overseas.
Meanwhile, Hazwan describes kantan as a hardy, disease-resistant herbal plant that, with proper care, can produce flowers in about a year.
Fresh kantan flowers – unopened, partially bloomed, or fully bloomed – are supplied to markets and wholesalers for about 50 sen each.
He is thankful to the Perak agriculture department and other agencies for their support, and encourages more youths to enter the field as planting kantan is 'low-maintenance, offers steady demand, and can provide side income'.
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