Southeast Asia’s young farmers dig in for the future in ‘call to return to the land’

A typical day for Aizat Halim begins at 5am, as he sets out on a drive to his fruit farm in Janda Baik, about 50km (30 miles) from his home in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur – a distance that reflects the gap between his current and former lives.Farming, the 31-year-old said, was always his first career choice, despite graduating in marketing from colleges in the US and the United Kingdom.In 2020, he started a pineapple farm on family land, leaving a cushy air-conditioned job as a marketing intern at the Malaysian Football League in Kuala Lumpur.Today, after buying more parcels of land himself, he manages six hectares (15 acres) across the neighbouring states of Selangor, Kedah and Pahang, cultivating pineapples, durian, mangosteen and rambutan.“Farming was never something completely foreign to me,” he said. “Growing up, I spent many weekends on the farm with my family. Being close to the land and nature always felt familiar and grounding.”Aizat Halim says farming has always been his first career choice. Photo: Ushar DanieleHis decision to enter agriculture post-pandemic was driven by market opportunity, particularly demand for MD2 pineapples, a hybrid popular in city cafes and restaurants for its sweetness.