Urban farms sprout up across Malaysia as rising costs take root

More than a decade ago, Mrs Norhasyimah Daud often found herself throwing away wilted vegetables at the end of the week, each spoiled handful a reminder of how carefully every ringgit had to be stretched.

- Muzliza Mustafa Malaysia Correspondent

Residents in Selangor's Taman Perwira transformed neglected back lanes into a thriving community garden. From one household in 2021, the green movement has spread to 44 in the landed estate.

(PHOTO: AIDA HANIZA ADNAN/GARDEN8)

Then a mother of three and pregnant with her fourth, the Kuala Lumpur clerk and her husband Latiff Abu Hassan, 55, a small trader of goods, together earned RM2,500 a month.

To avoid waste and reduce grocery bills at the time, she and her neighbours planted chilli, lemongrass, lime and spinach varieties in a tiny patch near their public housing block in the country's capital.

That modest beginning has since grown into a healthy community farm at Seri Perlis 2 housing complex in KL, home to around 900 residents.

One recent evening after work, Mrs Norhasyimah tended her verdant plot. Watering the thriving rows of cabbages, fresh herbs and salad greens, she inspected seeding pots amid birdsong and the sound of vehicles nearby.

Many here once lived in squatter areas scattered across the city, which were cleared as KL grew, and families were relocated to low-cost government flats.

"I used to spend about RM20 a week on vegetables but still ended up throwing some away," she told The Straits Times.

"Now I take only what I need (from the community farm)," said Mrs Norhasyimah, who is now 50 and a mother of four.

Urban farming has sprouted across Malaysia since the Covid-19 pandemic exposed how quickly supply disruptions and income loss can strain urban families, especially among lower-income residents.

Discussions on home gardening and food security on social media have become more visible with time, as people share tips on how to grow vegetables in pots, on balconies or in narrow plots in dense, urban residential settings.

Many of these groups now have thousands of members who exchange advice, trade seeds and showcase their harvests.