Since last year, many have ventured into commercial farming of worms and leeches, both slithering kinds which are usually off-limits to most people.
It has emerged that the worms and leeches apparently produce an enzyme which can be used as a compound in beauty pharmaceutical products.
One of the breeders is businessman Wan Ya Wan Yusuf, 38, from Kampung Chi Cha, Kota Baru, who has roped in his wife Noorlaila Ibrahim, 37, and six children to help manage the farm
full of the slithering worms.
Wan Ya, encouraged to venture into breeding worms by a friend last year, began importing unhatched eggs of worms from Indonesia.
He earns an average of RM300 to RM1,200 per kilo of worms, depending on the grades.
He said his business was slowly but surely turning into a lucrative venture as at times, he could earn beyond RM5,000 per month.
He also sells the worms to a wholesaler who would distribute it to pharmaceutical agents for processing.
Over at Kemumin, Pengkalan Chepa, Khalid Abdul Rahim, who is know locally as Mat Yos, shows people about his commercial breeding of leeches at an open-space near his home.
He began breeding the leeches about two years ago after he was informed by a marketing agent that many cosmetic firms were using leeches. Leeches are also processed into an ointment as a massaging cream.
Khalid earns about RM60 per kilo of leeches and it has become lucrative enough for him to quit his day job as a welder.
- By SAZUKI EMBONG (The Star)
Related (Leeches Farming):
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news_lite.php?id=322584
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2008/2/23/lifefocus/20185761&sec=lifefocus
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/4/11/north/20890124&sec=North
http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/6525/leeching-into-commercial-production
http://www.badruzamani.org/blog/?p=589
