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Malaysia

Farmer Profile —Beo Lim

Beo completed the New Entry farmer training program in spring, 2006, after having purchased a farm in the Endless Mountain region of northeast Pennsylvania. Beo Lim and his wife Sweecheng and now split their time between the farm, called Appletree Farm, and their home in Lexington, MA.

Currently, the Lim's primary crop is blueberries. They plan to gradually expand their farming operations over the next several years to create an eco-friendly, sustainable system including animals, vegetables, hay fields, and fruit orchards. The farm currently has about 160 blueberry bushes on 2 acres, as well as peach, apple, and pear trees and currant and gooseberry bushes. The rest of the farm is made up of hayfields and woodlands.

The Lims are working to recondition the previously neglected fields with compost, bone meal, and cover crops. They use no synthetic chemicals on any of their crops. Each blueberry is carefully hand picked.

Country Facts

Consisting of two regions separated by a vast area of the South China Sea, Malaysia is a federation of 13 states and 3 federal territories. Malaysia was officially formed in 1963 when Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak joined the Federation. The first few years of the country's history are marked by Indonesian attempts to control Malaysia, Phillipine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's succession from the Federation in 1965. Today, Malaysia has one of the healthiest economies in Southeastern Asia, thanks to industrial growth and political stability.

Location: Southeastern Asia
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Area: Slightly larger than New Mexico, 329,750 sq km, Land: 328,550 sq km, Water: 1,200 sq km
Climate: Tropical with annual monsoons
Terrain: Coastal plains, hills and mountains
Land Use: Arable land: 5.48%, Permanent crops: 17.61%
Irrigated Land: 3,650 sq km
Environmental Issues: Air and water pollution, deforestation
Population: 23,953,136
Life Expectancy: 72.24 years
GDP per capita: $4650
Under 5 mortality rate (per 1000 live births): 12
Ethnic Groups: Malay, Chinese, Indigenous, Indian, and others
Languages: Bahasa Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil, Teluga, Malayalam, Panjabi, and Thai
Major Religions: Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Sikhism

Agriculture

Much of Malaysia is covered with dense jungle and so is unsuitable for farming, but it is done on coastal plains, river valleys, and foothills. Agriculture dropped from 38% of GDP in 1960 to just 12% in 2001, however 16% of the employed work force are in agriculture and the government is promoting diversification to crops such as oil palm, cocoa, and pineapples. Rubber production used to be the focus of production as Malaysia produced 14% of the world's rubber, but in recent years it has become less profitable due to competition from Thailand and Indonesia.

Agriculture Products: Rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice, subsistence crops, timber, coconuts,
pepper, and timber

Traditional Foods

Malaysian food has a mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian influence. Rojak is a popular dish: the Chinese version is a salad of fruits and veggies mixed with shrimp paste. The Indian Muslim version is sliced fritters, beancurd, veggies, with spicy peanut sauce.

Nasi Lemak: rice cooked in coconut milk and served with range of side dishes and condiments.

Satay: skewered pieces of meat grilled and dipped in spicy peanut sauce.

Banana leaf rice: rice eaten off of a banana leaf with meat, curries, veggies, pickles, and crispy pappadoms.

Nasi kandar: rice, curry , and veggies. Sometimes meat and fish too.