Labuan’s ‘Lettuce King’ bags tourism award
Published on: Wednesday, May 15, 2024
By: Sohan Das
Tommy with his wife at his lettuce farm.
LABUAN: After eight years in a new undertaking, Tommy Teo is reaping the fruits of his labour.
“I am certainly delighted that my efforts have gained national recognition,” said Tommy on his “The Farmshop” being awarded the Asean Urban Tourism (Theme: Gastronomy) 2024-2026 certification by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
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The award, which was presented to him in Kuala Lumpur, acknowledges an individual’s exceptional skill in developing a gastronomic path and managed through attraction such a culinary experience with a farming encounter, making the farm an exciting food tourism product.
Tommy’s Farmshop is spread over two acres at Kampung Pantai.
It has greenhouses as well as a cuisine establishment which fits the requirements of the award.
Tommy, who is assisted by his wife Stephanie, said he did rely on books but used his own trial-and- error method to produce a workable system in mass lettuce cultivation.
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Today, Tommy is locally dubbed as the “Lettuce King” and his farm produces about 1,500 packets of lettuce per day, which are sold mainly in the domestic market at RM5.50 per packet compared to imported packets of between RM8.70 and RM12.
The lettuce is grown in two greenhouses with four domes spread over 8,000 sq. ft and 20 workers.
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Tommy said he is now doing R&D to diversify and grow a larger variety of vegetables and if the developed system is successful, he would present it to the Agriculture Ministry.
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