There is a new tourist attraction in Kuching starting this year – The thriving strawberry farm located at Matang, Kuching that not to be miss. Located nearby the Major Tourist attraction of Kubah National Park and Matang Wildlife Centre, this farm has the potential to raise to become a popular destination for quick stop.
Address: Kampung Jaya Bakti, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
Latitude : 1.64053534
Longitude : 110.15410915
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Opening Hours:
Every Saturday and Sunday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
(Usually Closed during weekdays, but may open during school holidays and public holidays)
Phone: +60 19-856 7558
Facebook Messenger : https://m.me/191727891442500
Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/Jantayu-Strawberry-Farm-191727891442500/
Jantayu Strawberry Farm is located around 36KM from Kuching City Center, which is around 42 minutes drive, is ready accessible via Jalan Akses ke Matang Wildlife Centre from Jalan Akses FAC. From the Kuching City you will also pass by one of the famous park in Matang Area – the VH Green Nature Park.
- Matang Wildlife Centre (A place to see protected wildlife in Sarawak – Orangutans and Hornbills)
- Kubah National Park
- Jeti Kampung Telaga Air (Fishing Village with jetty by Sungai Sibu which opens into the open sea)
- VH Green Nature Park (On the way from Kuching City)
Kampung Jaya Bakti is once a very quite farmers village. Beautiful scenery with mountains and trees, cool mountain breeze and minimal traffic. Thanks to the preserved nature with less development around, and nearby Wildlife and natural park, this place very quiet and cool at night.
This condition had been right for agricultural plantations like the strawberry plantation that require a cooler climate to prosper. Many had attempted to plant strawberry in low land Sarawak, but this thriving strawberry farm is one of its kind in Sarawak, or you can say is the first in Sarawak for large scale low land strawberry plantation in Sarawak.
According to the 62 years old owner, Muhammad Hossen Ediwi, it is a story of how four pots of strawberry plants (with two plants of strawberry plants bought from 2015 national-level Farmers,Livestock Breeders and Fishermen’s Day celebration at Dewan Suarah Kota Samarahan, and two plants from Cameron Highlands) had grown into more than 6,000 strawberry plants in his family farm at Kampung Jaya Bakti in just three years.
The Logo of Jantayu Strawberry Farm on a banner .
Although it is still in renovation, people still love to visit this new place.
Strawberry mostly thriving in cooler climate like those in Cameron Highlands, Genting Highlands etc. Hence it is not impossible to plant strawberry in tropical Malaysia. However having strawberry plantation in low land in Malaysia is quite a challenge due to high temperature during noon time.
The first condition is met at this region by having cooler nights and morning thanks to the preserved rainforest around the region.
The second condition can be met by having a specially designed greenhouse that control the midday temperature and sunlight to a level that the strawberry can thrive and prosper.
The third condition can be met by having a well designed micro drip irrigation system and good amount of organic soil media.
The specially designed green house for the strawberry plantation.
The plants flourish under good nutrition, good irrigation, good temperature and light control.
The strawberry plants is stacked one after the other on a customized metal rack, allowing enough sunlight to share among all the plants. Strawberry plants don’t need too much sunlight.
Rows and rows of strawberry plants.
Strawberry plants.
Walking path is lay along the racks for easy access of the plants. Visitors can walk around the plants and have a photos with the plants. Visitors are currently being prohibited to pluck the strawberries due to currently low strawberries fruit production.
Visitors are encourage to try their strawberry food and dressing at the stall nearby.
If you are interested with the strawberry plantation at your backyard, you can buy some of the strawberry plants that had been prepared in hanging pots.
Visitors walking around the strawberry farm.
Strawberry plants.
The rows of strawberry plants.
Close up view of the strawberry plants.
Strawberry fruit is widely been appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture and sweetness. It had been used widely in dressing, toppings, flavored food and also can be eaten fresh.
The size of the strawberry fruits is smaller than that of grown in cooler highland climates like those from Cameron Highlands, but they are sweeter.
This farm is focusing on selling of the strawberry plants first, as the fruit production is still low.
One of the strawberry fruit.
Three strawberries on a plant.
Young strawberries around the farm.
Irrigation is one of the important key for successful agriculture plantation. In this stacked strawberry farm, you will appreciate how extensive the micro drip irrigation is set up to ensure all the 6,000 plants get adequate amount of irrigation everyday. Small tubes connecting the main irrigation pipelines to the soil of each plants, supplying control amount of water for each plants.
Micro drip irrigation is not new in the agriculture industry, but is had shaped many modern large scale agriculture scenarios.
micro drip irrigation tubings to each strawberry plant.
The strawberry farm is designed not only for showcase of strawberry plantation, but also integrating various other opportunity in tourism. There is few stalls around the farm that sell strawberry merchandise and food, drinks and ice creams. In keeping with promoting the local strawberry industry.
The hall between the greenhouse.
The great hall located between two strawberry greenhouse is an area with tables and chairs for visitors to sit and relax, enjoying the cool climate and surrounded by strawberry plants. The air feels sweet too.
There is also Surau available for the Muslim friends too.
Tables and chair for visitors to sit down and enjoy the scene.
Obviously this is just the beginning of the chapter of thriving strawberry in Sarawak. We are looking forward for more add-ons and expansion of the farm, and obviously waiting for it to reach large scale fruit production maturity.
Furthermore with better understanding of the plants and methodology of modern farming, it also opens up a new potential of plantation of other cool climate plants in the region.
