By Hamdan Ismail
KUCHING: It has been a long road for Mohamad Aluis Hamri to become a successful kelulut honey entrepreneur.
Six years after having ventured into the business with his family, the 37-year-old is now reaping the fruits of his sweat and tears.
“I have to admit that the journey was a difficult one. However, the support of my family and the will to complete what I have begun have produced the desired results,” Mohamad Aluis told Bernama at his Niranur Agro Farm in Sematan, 105 km from here.
Mohamad Aluis, a qualified engineer, and his family ventured into the kelulut (stingless honey bee) farming business in 2014.
“I have a construction company, but I was inspired to venture into the kelulut honey industry after having observed these unique insects and their active lifestyle and structured colonies,” he said.
Mohamad Aluis started out with two hives which he obtained from the mangrove swamp forest in Sematan.
His intention to venture into the business had the support of his parents who allowed him to make use of a piece of land owned by the family in the southern-most district of Sarawak to start an agro farm for these stingless bees.
“By 2015, I was able to expand the number of hives to 40. In 2016, I increased the number of hives to 160, in 2017, to 180. Now, I have 220 hives in all,” he said.
In tandem with the growth of the hives, he was able to raise his production of kelulut honey as well, from about 50 kg a month initially to about 100 kg now.
“Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah), the initial income of RM8,000 per month has also risen, to RM12,000 now,” he beamed.
Mohamad Aluis acknowledged that the business is not without its challenges and difficulties, but they never dampened his spirit.
He said utmost care must be taken because the kelulut, due to its tiny size and stingless nature, is often a victim of the bigger bees and hornets.
“The trick is to place some belacan (shrimp paste) near the hives to keep away the predator bees and hornets,” he said.
Mohamad Aluis welcomed the government launch of the National Kelulut Honey Industry Development Plan 2020-2030, saying it can help stimulate and propel the industry to new heights.
It cannot be denied that Mohamad Aluis’ use of social media for his marketing strategy is a factor that has made his, a successful business.
Mohamad Aluis said he has appointed several shops and stockists, particularly in Kuching and Kuala Lumpur, to market his products but much of the sales are via orders through the social media.
He also opened up the Niranur Agro Farm to the public in 2015, and it has been receiving about 40,000 visitors annually. He expects the number of visitors to rise during Visit Malaysia 2020.
“Entry to the farm is free but with a fee of RM3, a visitor can have a taste of the kelulut honey, sucking it with a straw straight from the hive,” he said. – Bernama
