After more than a decade carrying a firearm to safeguard national security, Hayword Losuil has taken a different path, turning his attention to safeguarding the country's food security as an agricultural entrepreneur, supplying bird's eye chillies to the community.
Admitting that it was not easy to take off the Malaysian Army uniform he had worn since 2008, the 38-year-old Sabahan said his deep passion for agriculture eventually strengthened his resolve to venture into a field closer to his heart.
"I ended my service in the Malaysian Armed Forces in 2022. Armed with the knowledge gained from a farming course organised by the Armed Forces Fund Board (PERHEBAT) in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, I gradually developed KDO Farm in 2023," he told Bernama at his farm in Kampung Tompinahaton, Kiulu, here.
Located about 47 kilometres northeast of Kota Kinabalu, Kiulu, a sub-district of Tuaran, is not only renowned for its picturesque green valleys, community-based rural tourism and white-water rafting activities, but also holds tremendous potential as an agricultural hub in Sabah.
Recognising its geographical advantages and the consistently strong market demand for bird's eye chillies in Tuaran, Tamparuli and Kiulu, Hayword was determined to fully harness the fertility of Kiulu's land.
"My interest in this venture developed after I saw the potential of the crop, which enjoys stable market demand. This motivated me to produce quality chillies using good agricultural practices," said the Kiulu-born entrepreneur.
MILITARY DISCIPLINE
His daily routine begins while the morning mist still blankets the picturesque Kiulu valley. Hayword starts work by inspecting the fertigation system, checking the fertiliser mixture and looking for signs of diseases and pest infestations among the rows of bird's eye chilli plants.
The discipline instilled during his 14 years in the military is now fully applied to managing his farm.
"Experience in the uniformed services has shaped my discipline considerably. Work must follow a schedule, be punctual, clean and consistent. Crops cannot wait for us; we have to take care of them at all times," he said.
The same discipline is reflected in his financial management. Starting small with RM5,000 of his own capital, Hayword did not expect to generate substantial returns overnight. Instead, he reinvested his modest profits to gradually expand the farm.
"I started with just 100 polybags before increasing the number to 256 within two years of setting up the farm in 2023," said Hayword, who now cultivates about 1,000 bird's eye chilli plants on his own 0.08-hectare plot.
His firmly held philosophy of "making small profits, reinvesting and expanding gradually" has paid off, with KDO Farm now owning business assets, including fertigation equipment purchased from its earnings, worth nearly RM35,000.
THE SCIENCE OF CULTIVATION
The cultivation of bird's eye chillies at KDO Farm follows a carefully planned schedule to ensure the quality of the plants and the grade of the produce.
The seeds are first sown in special trays for 21 to 30 days before being transferred into polybags once the seedlings have passed the critical stage of initial root and leaf development, allowing for optimal growth.
According to Hayword, bird's eye chilli plants typically begin producing fruit as early as 60 days after planting (DAP) and can continue bearing fruit for up to 300 DAP, depending on daily care and the plants' resilience against environmental threats.
Adherence to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) has enabled KDO Farm to record an average production of between 50 and 60 kilogrammes of fresh chillies per week during peak season.
"Production depends largely on the age of the plants, weather conditions and daily maintenance. Once the plants mature, yields become more consistent," he said.
In terms of income, he said KDO Farm could earn between RM2,000 and RM3,000 per harvest, depending on prevailing market prices.
"When market prices rise, profits naturally increase. However, when prices fall, we have to manage input costs more efficiently and carefully to ensure the business remains competitive," he said, adding that sales of bird's eye chillies were among his family's main sources of income.
Encouraged by the fruits of his labour, Hayword plans to diversify his crops by venturing into ginger cultivation in the near future.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES
Farming comes with its own set of challenges, and Hayword has had his share of difficulties, including changing weather conditions, fungal diseases and pest attacks, all of which can affect production and crop quality.
Rising agricultural input costs, particularly fertilisers and pesticides, have also placed additional pressure on the farm's financial management.
To prevent these risks from undermining his hard work, Hayword conducts regular farm inspections, uses balanced fertilisers, implements pest control measures in accordance with strict standard operating procedures and ensures that the farm environment remains clean.
At the same time, he continuously seeks new knowledge from various sources while strengthening KDO Farm through ongoing technical advice and guidance from officers of the Tuaran Area Farmers' Organisation (PPK).
Through PPK Tuaran, Hayword has gained knowledge of GAP, modern farm management and marketing strategies suited to current market demands.
DIGITAL MARKETING
To expand the market for his bird's eye chillies, Hayword does not rely solely on direct sales to wholesalers and local buyers in Tuaran, Tamparuli and Kiulu.
Keeping pace with technological developments, he actively leverages social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and TikTok to promote his produce and build greater customer confidence in the KDO Farm brand.
In line with his long-term business plans, he has also taken another step forward by developing value-added products to reduce his dependence on fresh chilli sales, which are vulnerable to market price fluctuations.
Under the KDO Farm brand, Hayword is developing downstream products such as sambal tuhau and pure ground chilli paste.
"Sambal tuhau was chosen because it is a unique product closely associated with Sabah's identity and culinary heritage. I want the chillies from my farm to be more than just fresh produce for sale; I want them processed into value-added products that promote local produce," he said.
Hayword's hard work has also benefited the local community, with residents being engaged to help harvest the chillies during peak seasons.
NO NEED TO RUSH
The success of the Kiulu native in developing his chilli farm demonstrates that limited land or a lack of prior agricultural experience need not be obstacles to becoming an agricultural entrepreneur, provided one has strong discipline, perseverance and a willingness to continuously acquire new knowledge.
At the end of the interview, Hayword shared some words of advice and encouragement for fellow former security personnel who are about to retire or have recently completed their service in the uniformed forces.
"My advice to fellow veterans is to start small, draw on the discipline you already have, keep learning and never give up easily. With consistent effort, agriculture can grow into a highly successful business," he said.