PAPAR: An entrepreneur has to produce about 30,000 pieces of traditional food kelupis to meet the overwhelming demand from customers during Ramadan and Syawal.
Nurelyana Shafiqah Alitus Abdullah (pix), 38, said her home-based frozen product had been marketed at local supermarkets under the “Sasaban” brand since October last year.
The former finance executive at an oil and gas company in Labuan said she would normally produce 3,000 to 4,000 pieces of kelupis during Ramadan and Syawal, however, this year’s demand surged up to 10 times compared to previous years.
“Since my company’s frozen kelupis products were sold at nine Bataras Hypermarket branches in Kota Kinabalu, Keningau, Ranau and Papar at the end of October last year, I started producing an average of 10,000 kelupis a month.
“Together with my four assistants, we have to produce up to 30,000 kelupis to meet the increasing demand during Ramadan and Syawal this year,“ she told Bernama when met at her house in Kimanis near here.
The mother of three said kelupis, made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in ‘irik’ leaves, is popular among the community on the west coast of Sabah and a must-have not only during the festive season but also feasts and weddings.
Nurelyana Shafiqah, who learned how to make kelupis from her father Alitus @ Mohd Aidy Nuating, 61, said at first, she sold the frozen kelupis products to her family members and neighbours before expanding to online sales via Facebook.
Realising the potential of the product, she participated in a small and medium industry (SMI) development courses organised by the Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority, Sabah Agro-Industrial Precinct, and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority.
For the next two years, she plans to own a factory and workshop to further increase the production of her products apart from attending more courses and product quality development trainings.
‘Sasaban’ frozen kelupis is sold at RM19.90 per pack while the wholesale price is RM18 per pack. -Bernama
