Consumer Association of Penang suggests growing crops at home; Malaysians highlight problems with doing so

It is no secret that the price of crops have been rising in Malaysia recently due to insufficient supply. In response to soaring grocery prices, the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) has recently urged Malaysian consumers to take matters into their own hands and grow their own vegetables.

"We are urging consumers to grow their own vegetables at home, which can be cost-effective. Planting edible greens does not require a big space," N. V. Subbarow, coordinator of CAP's natural farming programmes, told The Vibes.

He even revealed that onions have fetched a price of RM8.50 per kilogram recently due to the shortage of supply.

However, this suggestion has been met with criticism online, with many internet users questioning its feasibility and practicality. Users on social media site Reddit highlighted constraints such as small living spaces, inadequate sunlight, lack of expertise and the lack of time.

"Does he think everyone is rich to be able to afford a landed house and plant things?" queried Reddit user @ise311.

Others echoed similar concerns, with user @aetheus outlining a space issue. "Space is still a problem. Sure, it's easy to grow taugeh (bean sprouts) - but unless you want to die of malnutrition/starvation, you need to grow a lot of taugeh if it's your only source of vegetables. Especially if you're feeding more than 1 mouth. These people are so out of touch that I don't even," said the user.

User @a5m7gh also commented on the time taken to grow crops, "I grew chillies on my condo balcony during the MCO (Movement Control Order). Took more than a month to yield any chillies and my partner and I finished it in 3 days. I can't imagine how much space you would need to grow enough food to make a significant caloric contribution to your diet."

Adding to the complexity, Reddit user @ChubbTrain pointed out more problems for the average Malaysian learning how to grow their own food. "Even if got land, it is not feasible to grow your own vegetables at a small scale. Things that we can eat, insects love to eat. Besides, every plant needs different things. You'd need to pour some mental and physical labour into this. It's not like Farmville."

Do Malaysians really have space contraints?

Architect Huda Mahmud provided context to Yahoo Southeast Asia on the spatial constraints inherent in modern housing designs.

"To a certain extent, I agree with some of the opinions expressed by social media users regarding the size of spaces in current house designs, particularly for those not covered by the state's affordable housing scheme," she said.

Huda highlighted the disparities in designs of homes, particularly in freely priced housing where developers may construct smaller units with higher prices.

"Many houses lack balconies and only have a small yard near the kitchen," she explained. "Another aspect is the design of houses. You may notice that in newer developments, the balcony spaces are quite small, even in high-cost apartments.

"House occupants may tend to overcrowd the small balconies with outdoor seating, cat cages, bicycles, clothes drying racks, leaving insufficient space or sometimes no space at all. In such cases, if occupants want to install hydroponics or pots for planting vegetables, they lack the space to do so."

Huda also suggested exploring alternative solutions like community vegetable gardens in common areas.

"The community of a residential building should be able to vote during their Joint Management Body (JMB) Annual General Meeting to introduce the building's own vegetable farm in a specific area. However, achieving this goal requires a collective effort from the building's residents," she said.

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