The Story of Mr Ganick:
From Mission to New Business
Due to the nature of our industry, we interact with many farmers and gardening dealers. We discovered that Malaysia is a major pesticide user, despite having a relatively small land area. According to data at the time, Malaysia ranked second in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of pesticide use per hectare (Food & Agriculture of United Nations Report, 2010). However, the pesticides used in Malaysia are generally the cheapest. What are the potential consequences of cheaper pesticides? Some of the older, less costly pesticides can remain in crops and persist in soil and water for extended periods (World Health Organization, 2022).
In 2012, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia conducted blood tests on farmers in the Bangi area. Of the 100 farmers tested, 75% were found to have chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that can lead to various diseases (Knoema, Pesticide Consumption in Malaysia, 2014). Additionally, PANAP found nine types of banned pesticides in water sources in Cameron Highlands, Malaysia (Sin Chew Daily, 2015). These water sources eventually flow into our drinking water, causing these pesticides to end up in our bodies.
Since 2009, Baba had been committed to promoting environmentally friendly organic practices as part of the company’s corporate responsibility, sharing this message with more consumers, and teaching organic farming methods to farmers across the country. Given that the market lacked organic inputs at the time, Baba guided farmers on how to create their own enzymes or organic materials to combat pests and bacteria, reducing the use of chemical pesticides that harm both humans and the environment. However, many farmers cited a lack of manpower and time, leading them to revert to traditional pesticide products.
To address this issue, Baba, six years later, in 2015, began making organic fertilizers and natural plant pesticides to help those farmers willing to transition to organic farming. This transition from a mission-driven effort to a full-fledged business venture.
Today, Baba has developed and launched a range of Mr. Ganick organic pesticides and fertilizers. Furthermore, Mr. Ganick is committed to ensuring all organic products are certified, becoming the first Malaysian company to obtain both EU Ecocert and Malaysia’s SIRIM certifications for organic inputs. We hope to further protect farmers’ health and safeguard crops and Malaysia’s land.
International organic certification, safe & effective!
