Planting date trees as hobby turns profitable venture for Mohd Zain

Once dismissed as a futile effort, 65-year-old Mohd Zain can now take pride in his success, as the hundreds of date trees he planted on his 0.8-hectare farm in Kampung Teras, Binjai, have yielded significant returns. Pic by STR/NIK ABDULLAH NIK OMAR

KOTA BARU: Planting date trees as a hobby has transformed into a profitable venture over 12 years for Mohd Zain Mohamad.

Once dismissed as a futile effort, 65-year-old Mohd Zain can now take pride in his success, as the hundreds of date trees he planted on his 0.8-hectare farm in Kampung Teras, Binjai, have yielded significant returns.

Initially, the businessman, who is also a farmer, assumed that the tree he planted would bear dates, but it turned out to be a male date tree. Refusing to let the tree go to waste, Mohd Zain sought advice on the matter and discovered that male date trees can produce sap.

"The method to obtain date sap involves scraping the outer layer of the trunk to create a channel, allowing the liquid to flow into a container attached to the tree. The scraping process usually takes place at midnight, while the sap collection is carried out in three phases.

"However, to obtain a delicious and high-quality sap, it is typically collected 12 hours after the scraping process. After this period, the sap is considered spoiled, but it can be fermented for 40 days to produce date vinegar, which is known to have beneficial nutrients," said Mohd Zain.

He added that demand for date sap remains steady despite not being publicly commercialised, with a noticeable increase during Ramadan.

"Many people consume date sap as a drink for breaking fast and enjoy it during moreh. Besides its rich and delicious taste, the drink is also said to provide energy," he said.

Mohd Zain said that he is assisted by two staff members in producing over 50 litres of date sap daily, which is packed in 250ml plastic bottles and sold for RM15 each.

"Since production is not on a large scale and is somewhat intricate, I do not actively promote the date sap. Transactions are conducted face-to-face with customers who visit the farm," he added.

The businessman is also establishing another date farm in Pengkalan Chepa, which he will manage alongside a friend.

According to Mohd Zain, he intends to focus on the production of date vinegar, as the process is less complicated and offers greater nutritional benefits compared to date sap. - NST