From guarding the nation to growing chillies, Sabah veteran starts again in Kiulu

Résumé détaillé

After more than a decade carrying a firearm to safeguard national security, Hayword Losuil has taken a different path, turning his attention to safeguarding ...

TUARAN, Nov 10 — After more than a decade carrying a firearm to safeguard national security, Hayword Losuil has taken a different path, turning his attention to safeguarding the country's food security as an agricultural entrepreneur, supplying bird’s eye chillies to the community.

Admitting that it was not easy to take off the Malaysian Army uniform he had worn since 2008, the 38-year-old Sabahan said his deep passion for agriculture eventually strengthened his resolve to venture into a field closer to his heart.

“I ended my service in the Malaysian Armed Forces in 2022. Armed with the knowledge gained from a farming course organised by the Armed Forces Fund Board (Perhebat) in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, I gradually developed KDO Farm in 2023,” he told Bernama at his farm in Kampung Tompinahaton, Kiulu, here.

Located about 47 kilometres northeast of Kota Kinabalu, Kiulu, a sub-district of Tuaran, is not only renowned for its picturesque green valleys, community-based rural tourism and white-water rafting activities, but also holds tremendous potential as an agricultural hub in Sabah.

Recognising its geographical advantages and the consistently strong market demand for bird’s eye chillies in Tuaran, Tamparuli and Kiulu, Hayword was determined to fully harness the fertility of Kiulu’s land.

“My interest in this venture developed after I saw the potential of the crop, which enjoys stable market demand. This motivated me to produce quality chillies using good agricultural practices,” said the Kiulu-born entrepreneur.

His daily routine begins while the morning mist still blankets the picturesque Kiulu valley.

Hayword starts work by inspecting the fertigation system, checking the fertiliser mixture and looking for signs of diseases and pest infestations among the rows of bird’s eye chilli plants.

The discipline instilled during his 14 years in the military is now fully applied to managing his farm.

Début de l'article, extrait de Malay Mail. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.