An entrepreneur here, Ruhaineh Ajak, 46, who was only able to produce around 150kg a month of keropok (fish cracker) strips, was selected as a participant in the Rezeki Tani programme.

The business owner of Ruhaineh Enterprise hopes to increase production to 500kg of the product a month with an average income of RM5,000 assisted by two employees.

Ruhaineh, who has been running the business for the past four years, said there were four flavours of keropok strips produced, namely milk, cheese, balado and brown sugar which were sold at RM5 per pack weighing 400 grammes.

“So far, I only promote my products through social sites such as Facebook and Whatsapp. Customers in the vicinity of Keningau who make reservations will come to pick up the products at my home every weekend.

“I plan to send my products to the mini-market hoping to make some progress. I also plan to invite the local community, especially women, to learn together and gain experience to open small businesses,” she told Bernama.

The entrepreneur from Kampung Skim Pamalan Liawan, near here, received a set of equipment including a keropok-making machine worth RM8,400 through the Rezeki Tani programme presented by Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries (MAFI) deputy secretary general (development) Datuk Badrul Hisham Mohd recently.

The mother of seven expressed her gratitude for the opportunity she described as a stepping stone to increase productivity and boost the potential of the product to other districts in Sabah.

She had not expect selling keropok strips tp be a source of livelihood which could cover her children’s school expenses.

“I work on this product on a small scale at home and have never received any help from any party. Currently, I make these keropok manually and for that reason the production is very limited. I also made the packaging myself with the help of my children.

“I thank the ministry for its concern because with the help of this set of machine tools, I am optimistic that I can increase production, diversify my products and expand the keropok strips market in the future,” she said.

Apart from Ruhaineh, another Keningau woman entrepreneur Noriani Roslan from Kampung Sondoton Baru also received assistance of gas frying machine equipment, canopy and kitchen equipment worth RM8,800 through the programme for her food business that she has been running for 10 years.

Rezeki Tani’s poverty eradication and income generating programme was rebranded from the AZAM Tani Program with several MAFI agencies tasked with implementing the initiative including the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA).

The objective is to help increase the income of participants through economic projects involving agriculture and agro-food activities, besides strengthening knowledge, skills and competitiveness through training organised under the programme aimed at helping lift participants out of poverty. – Bernama

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by THE BORNEO POST

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