By DayakDaily Team
BARIO, Aug 5: Tom Gatum is transforming Tosari Farm from a small-scale agricultural venture into a potential agrotourism destination, with plans to allow visitors to experience grape and strawberry cultivation while enjoying freshly harvested produce straight from the farm.
Located in Kampung Pa Ukat, the farm has emerged as one of Bario’s growing attractions, showcasing the potential of high-value crop cultivation in the cool highland climate.
According to a report by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (Ukas), Tom is now focused on expanding Tosari Farm’s agrotourism potential while continuing to cultivate grapes and strawberries that have attracted growing interest from the local community.
The farm currently grows 24 grape varieties selected from nearly 40 varieties that were tested to determine their suitability for Bario’s unique highland conditions.
Among the varieties cultivated, Academic, Jupiter and Ninel have recorded the best performance, with Academic becoming the farm’s main commercial crop due to its reliable fruiting ability and strong market value.
Each harvesting season, Tosari Farm produces about 40 kilogrammes of grapes, which are sold at RM45 per kilogramme, with much of the harvest already pre-booked by local customers.
The farm also cultivates seven strawberry varieties, including a Taiwanese variety known for its sweeter flavour, fragrant aroma and larger fruit size.
With a production cycle of around two and a half months, Tosari Farm produces approximately 10 kilogrammes of strawberries per cycle, which are marketed at RM60 per kilogramme.
Beyond supplying fresh produce, Tom envisions Tosari Farm as a place where visitors can immerse themselves in the farming experience — exploring grape and strawberry plots, learning about cultivation techniques and enjoying fruits freshly picked from the plants.
The journey began in 2019, when Tom started with only a hoe and 12 planting beds of mustard greens and corn on an overgrown piece of land in Kampung Pa Ukat.
“I was still using a hoe and relying on traditional methods. I started by planting vegetables such as mustard greens and corn.
“I only began with 12 planting beds, and my income was about RM200 a month,” he told Ukas during an interview at Tosari Farm.
His determination later attracted support from the Sarawak Department of Agriculture, which assisted the farm through the introduction of a protected farming system and the construction of two greenhouses to improve cultivation methods.
The support enabled Tom to venture into high-value crops such as rock melon before expanding into grape and strawberry production.
In 2024, the Research Division of the Sarawak Department of Agriculture further strengthened the initiative by developing two greenhouses for highland strawberry research. The facilities were subsequently handed over to Tom for management.
Despite the farm’s progress, Tom said transportation and logistics remain the biggest challenges, as air freight is expensive and cargo capacity to the highlands remains limited.
He expressed hope that ongoing efforts by the Sarawak government to upgrade logging roads connecting Baram and Bario would continue, as improved road access would reduce costs and make it easier for farmers to transport their produce.
Tom added that the condition of the Bario–Long Banga road has improved significantly compared to previous years, making travel and connectivity in the area much easier. — DayakDaily
