SIBU: Corn farmers in Sungai Petanak, Pulau Bruit, about three hours’ journey from here, are already enjoying a bountiful harvest although the peak season for the crop is in July.
They are now selling a bundle of four ears of corn at just RM3.
A local man, Jemail Bedihi, said the crop takes 60 to 100 days to grow, so for them to be harvested in July, they should be planted around late March or the beginning of April.
Jemail said his father, Bedihi Issa’s farm of one acre has already begun fruiting a few weeks ago albeit on a small scale.
“The peak season begins at the end of July and will last for two months. By that time, we will be busy plucking the mature ears,” he said.
It is also during this time of the year that a big number of middlemen will show up to buy the corns from the farmers.
Jemail said their sweet corns were of top quality, larger and longer in size.
“A typical ear is a foot long or longer,” he said.
The corns are sold at RM2 for every three ears. In Sibu, the price is RM10 for five.
In the area, the eight farmers sell their corns at different prices due to a bit of competition.
A corn or maize plant, according to Jemail, produces from two to three ears.
“Some people mistakenly think that growing corns is easy. It’s not, I tell you. For one thing, we have to contend with rodents that would happily destroy our crops if we don’t kill them,” he said.
The rodents are exterminated usually using rice mixed with poison and placed at the base of the plants.
