Brothers’ gourds of prosperity
Duo gets abundance in wealth with pumpkin sales
GEORGE TOWN: Two brothers are expecting brisk business for their golden pumpkin and bottle gourd which are considered essential during Chinese New Year.
Farmer Boon Ah Baa, 65, said 1,500 pumpkins and 2,000 bottle gourds were harvested at their plantation in Bukit Paya Terubong to meet festive demand.
He and his brother Ah Hock, 62, started growing them in September.
Bottle gourd, or better known as “hor lor pu” in Hokkien, signifies fortune and prosperity while pumpkin, widely known as “huat chai kua” in Hokkien, symbolises abundance of wealth.
“We only grow pumpkins and bottle gourds once a year during Chinese New Year as people usually buy them for prayers and decorative purposes. They won’t eat them.
“It takes more than 100 days to grow a bottle gourd whereas for pumpkin, it will take around 90 days.
“We are selling our produce at wholesale prices.
“For bottle gourd, it costs between RM4 and RM12 depending on the size.
“For pumpkin, it is sold between RM5 and RM8 each,” he said.
Ah Baa said out of four siblings, only he and Ah Hock continued with the family business on the 1.2ha land at the hikathon trail to Bukit Kukus.
“The soil is very fertile. After harvesting pumpkin and bottle gourd, we grow fruits and vegetables on the same plot,” he said.
Ah Baa said the produce would be sold at the Air Itam market, adding that some of their customers were hikers.
“They usually go hiking and drop by to buy pumpkins and bottle gourds,” he said, adding the hikers usually come during weekends.
“The plantation is open to visitors every day.
“We hope more tourists will visit us,” he said, adding that only hikers would know the place.