We’ve probably all heard the ‘no pain, no gain’ motto which conveys that one must be willing to endure some inconvenience or discomfort in order to achieve the desired result. This old idiom holds true for entrepreneur Azwan Zainudin, 30.
The former administrative assistant at a primary school in Jasin, Melaka, runs a roadside stall in Rasah, Kemayan, Negeri Sembilan by selling breakfast menu and pisang goreng (banana fritters). Prior to this, he took his career to the next level by opening a cafe and restaurant at Seremban 2.
No thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the nation, his business had to be shut down, forcing him to act fast. In fact, the setback fuelled his motivation to forge ahead by pivoting his business to farming, making him an entrepreneur of duck eggs.
Dared to venture
Early March 2020, he plucked up his courage by venturing into duck farming and selling salted eggs.
Seremban-born Azwan, who resides in Kampung Kayu Ara, Mambau, was then determined to embark on poultry farming as his new, full-time career.
From 100 duck eggs, he gradually increased to 200 more a month, bringing the total output to 300 duck eggs.
“Besides breeding ducks, I also sell fresh eggs and salted eggs. For this business, I used my own money as capital and have not taken any bank loan.
“A capital of RM5,000 from my own savings was used for my business and that was really not enough. I was forced to seek additional income as a personal driver and grass cutter for homes,” he told Bernama recently, adding that, he had to wait for six months for the eggs to hatch before they were ready for collection.
“I started rearing ducks early March and the ducks only started to lay eggs six months later, that is, around September, 2020. The market was hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many restaurants were closed down and as a result, I only sold fresh duck eggs to traders of basic goods. However, it didn’t work out due to the lack of buyers (due to COVID-19).
“As such, the only way was to preserve the duck eggs and convert them into salted eggs, for durability,” said the owner of Azwan Farm, who now has some 1,900 ducks at his farm, with sales fetching 1,400 to 1,500 eggs daily.
Brisk sales
Azwan, who is also president of the Duck & Egg Farmers Association, said there is vast potential in the business, given that eggs are among the basic necessities and are always on demand.
After three years dabbling in poultry farming, Azwan has reached a comfortable level, with gross monthly sales of over RM50,000.
“Fresh eggs are sold for RM1 each while salted eggs at RM1.30 each. Our products are sold to the public, traders and are marketed nationwide including Sabah and Sarawak using online marketplace Shopee. For delivery elsewhere, I use GrabExpress and postal services,” he said.
To produce salted eggs, Azwan said, he uses the preserved egg method by soaking eggs in salted water for about 14 days.
“The salted eggs will then be ready for the market. To ensure their resilience and are not damaged, I would usually recommend to customers not to use the eggs for not more than two months,” he said.
Azwan said there was a surge in demand for salted eggs ahead of Ramadan as it is among the main appetisers during ‘sahur’ (supper).
“Alhamdulillah (praise to Allah) so far, demand is always there. During this Ramadan, a sudden surge in demand is expected with the rise in bazaar traders in the market but we will focus on our old customers as we can only produce a maximum of between 45,000 to 50,000 salted eggs within a month,” he added.
Challenges
Admitting that success doesn’t always come easy, Azwan said it requires mental and physical strength coupled with a high degree of patience given the challenges posed by the agriculture industry, noting that the poultry sector is far different than other types of business.
This is because of the long period for ducks to reach maturity and ready for production.
“It is different from other business like restaurants and commerce. The period of maturity for ducks to lay eggs alone takes about four to over six months before the eggs are ready for the market.
“But if the duck embryo development is affected, the maturity period can be prolonged and it is not certain whether eggs can be produced even if it reaches the eighth month,” said Azwan, who is assisted by his wife, mother and three staff.
Azwan Farm is expected to produce 5,000 ducks by the end of 2025, he said, adding that he never regretted his decision to embark into the poultry sector, describing it as a profitable venture.
Knowledge-sharing
Azwan shares his knowledge and experience in running the fresh egg and salted egg business on YouTube, TikTok and Facebook with members of the public who are interested in leveraging on the poultry sector to generate more income.
“I don’t conduct certified courses. However, interested individuals can come direct to my farm every Sunday for a RM100 fee,” he said.
To date, some 80 participants from various states have undergone training and guidance at his farm and in fact some have become successful farmers with lucrative income.
Azwan is currently making arrangements for the establishment of the Duck & Egg Farmers Association Malaysia with the Registrar of Societies Malaysia.
“Those who aspire to become entrepreneurs must engage in self-reflection and boost their self-motivation from time to time. This is because success in a particular field is attributed to an individual’s own drive, it can’t be forced and in fact you can’t follow others. Interest and hard work go hand in hand.
“For youth who are keen to venture into this field, seek the best knowledge possible. The poultry sector is not as easy as expected. To succeed, knowledge, interest and hard work are essential.
“This industry is capital-intensive and a strategic location is needed. Once these two criteria are met, then only one can start the business. Journeying down the path to a successful business is filled with hurdles and path changes but knowing ahead of time ways to avoid losing money is essential to keeping your business afloat. A few wrong moves could make or break your business. Knowledge is crucial, capital comes second,” he shared. – BERNAMA
