A PRELIMINARY SURVEY STUDY ON THE RECEPTION OF INDOOR HYDROPONICS SYSTEM FOR LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD IN SELANGOR

Abstract

Indoor hydroponics system is gaining acceptance and traction in providing practical indoor farming capabilities for urban dwellers, including in low income housing estates. However, for the low income urban dwellers, the size of their residence might restrict the design of the indoor hydroponics system, especially in terms of available floor space. Furthermore, before one starts to develop an indoor hydroponics system, it is imperative to identify users’ preferences, in terms of the types of plants to grow, price, and design to enable the researchers to develop a better indoor hydroponics system. In this study, opinions from 53 participants on indoor hydroponics systems were obtained and analysed. Four aspects were analysed via the survey: (1) customer evaluations; (2) positive value; (3) costing; and (4) purchasing proclivity. The study shows that participants prefer to grow edible plants because of their benefits. Participants also prefer systems priced at below RM100 (60.40% of the respondent). Aloe Vera (56.6% preference) and Brazilian Spinach(49.1% preference) are two types of plants most preferred by the participants. As mentioned previously, the output of this survey will be used to guide the process of developing a suitable indoor hydroponics system for the low-income urban dwellers.