Mohd Lena Embong with some of the leeches that he breeds at home in Bachok.
BACHOK: Jun 11, 2008 By Sulaiman Jaafar
Mohd Lena Embong used to loath leeches that stuck to his feet when he played in the fields years ago.
Today, he is smiling, despite being bitten ever so often.
Lena's sunny temperament is due to the fact that while he still detests them, there is money to be made from the creatures.
He has been breeding lintah kerbau or buffalo leech for a living since January.
With RM5,000 seed money, Lena, 43, bought 1,000 breeding leeches which he fed with eels, and is waiting to sell his first harvest to local buyers.
He expects to sell the leeches at between RM50-RM60 per kg to those producing cosmetics such as lotions, creams and massage oils.
The younger leeches can be sold at RM1.50 each to other leech farmers.
Lena said the task of looking after the leeches was solely his, as his 40-year-old teacher-wife and five children were not too keen to go near the tanks.
"I understand their fear as I too was like them initially. But I got over the fear of being bitten. Being bitten is one of the hazards of the job."
He said many bitten by leeches pulled them off, but ended up with with marks that could turn itchy.
He said the leech had sharp teeth which it used to prick the skin to get at blood vessels.
"Instead of pulling it away, which can cause the skin to break, use the fingernail to push its head gently down so that the leech will let go.
"Tobacco juice or salt are effective too, but I don't use them as they can kill the leech."
A single leech can yield 100 young in six months.
"Breeding leeches is quite easy and needs only a small capital. They can be bred in ponds and plastic water tanks.
"I chose water tanks as they are cheaper and take up less space as the tanks can be put in the compound of the house.
"The important thing is to ensure that the water is not acidic. A medium-sized eel has enough blood to feed about 200 leeches and it can last them a week."
Lena said eels were ideal for feeding leeches as they had more blood than other fish.
He is currently on a mission to popularise leech farming in his village.
On his plans, Mohd Lena hoped to buy the Chinese variety as they are more hardy and fetch a better price in the international market.
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