KUANTAN: To keep the vegetable farming business in Cameron Highlands afloat during the movement control order (MCO) in March, R. Dinesh decided to experiment a new idea - pack and deliver the fresh farm produce directly to a customer's home.
Now, despite almost all economic sectors having reopened under the recovery movement control order, the 36-year-old continues to receive orders to deliver the vegetables, not only to customers in Kuantan but also in the Klang Valley.
Dinesh, whose parents operate a farm in Kuala Terla, Cameron Highlands, said he had previously planned to sell fresh produce directly to customers' home and the MCO was a good opportunity to try it out.
"Due to limited transportation services, I realised there was an increase in unsold vegetables. So I tried promoting several vegetable package through social media and it immediately received positive feedback so I asked my parents along with some other farmers to pack the products depending on the orders.
"There is a wide range of highland vegetable products including carrots, sweet potatoes and capsicum which are collected from several nearby farms, packed in plastic bags, arranged in boxes and delivered to customers. Since there was an oversupply of vegetables (as there were no night market during MCO), we picked only the high grade ones for customers," he told the New Straits Times.
Elder of two siblings, Dinesh said although the sales volume had dropped in recent weeks following the reopening of the morning and night markets and pasar tani, majority of his customers continued to place their orders via online.
He said to ensure a smooth delivery to customers, e-hailing drivers had been roped in to send the packed vegetables to customers' homes.
"We will receive customer orders before harvesting the vegetables, and they can choose from the packages offered or mix-and-match the produce. The vegetables will be sorted out, cleaned and packed at the farm. This is to ensure its freshness and avoid too many people handling it before it reaches the customers.
"Our priority is customer satisfaction ... if they go to the market, customers can pick the size or choose the vegetables depending on its condition but when we deliver, they have no choice so its important that we sell the best to ensure they do not feel cheated," said Dinesh, who promotes his business "D'Nature Mart" through Facebook and WhatsApp.
Dinesh, who holds a full-time job as a marketing executive here, said apart from farmers who had resumed selling vegetables at night and morning markets in Cameron Highlands, wholesalers who once purchased in smaller quantities to avoid losses during the MCO, had begun buying in bulk.
Cameron Highlands Vegetable Growers Association secretary Chay Ee Mong said the highland's vegetable business was back to normal as people now have various alternatives to purchase fresh farm produce.
"Besides night markets and home delivery, customers can choose from online-selling platform (Lazada) so there are no issues about the delivery chain. There are no logistic issues as lorries transporting vegetables have resumed operations.
"During the MCO, farmers had to look for alternatives to sell their products as even the restaurants were closed but now there is no more wastage. However, the current rainy spell has hit the vegetable supplies by 30 per cent and there's a slight increase in prices," he said.