MULTI-SECTOR information technology specialist Key Alliance Group Bhd (previously DVM Technology Bhd) through its 70% subsidiary Agrocloud Sdn Bhd has embarked on a proof of concept stage to test the versatility of its internet of things (IoT)-driven Rice Information Management System (RIMS).
Also leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data and relevant sensor/satellite technology, RIMS is able to provide real-time advisory, predictions and right prescriptions for the rice industry.
“Digitising of paddy cultivation is a necessary first step towards the national food security agenda,” Agrocloud’s technical director Vishnu Nair told FocusM.
“Besides the objectives of improving farmer yields and reducing productions costs, this initiative paves the way for a digital farming future which we hope will bring more youths into the industry. In the long run, this project will enable the Government to better rationalise subsidies based on data analytics that is currently absent.”
Agrocloud is taking a systems integrators approach via this digitisation push by identifying and merging many different components of agritech into a cohesive solution that is crop specific.
For instance, it employs the use of agrometeorology, satellite and drone imaging, soil moisture and water level sensors among a whole host of other technologies to achieve its digital farming objectives.
For RIMS to work efficiently, Agrocloud has developed a paddy farm specific platform by integrating available state-of-the-art technology obtained through its exclusive partnership with Austria’s Pessl Instruments into a consolidated tool comprising the management platform and farmer mobile apps.
The management platform manages and monitors the daily activities of the fields with a specific focus on yield forecast and cost economics while the farmer mobile apps will be used to deliver work orders, schedule daily activities and gauge assigned task completion or to internally benchmark farmers’ productivity.
As a testbed, the concept is currently put to test at a paddy field in Tanjung Karang as part of a collaboration with the Northwest Integrated Agriculture Development Area (IADA) authorities.
Earlier in March, Agrocloud has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Malaysian Cocoa Board (MCB) to collaborate and assist Malaysian cocoa smallholders utilising a similar technology to improve their efficiency and productivity.
The deployment of the Cocoa Information Management System (CIMS) technology in cocoa farms is intended to provide better datasets for a holistic approach towards crop monitoring solutions in Malaysia.
More broadly, CIMS is not only limited for small smallholders, but large plantation, too, can benefit from the technology to fully digitalise their operations. It is learnt that Agrocloud is currently in negotiation with a major cocoa player in Malaysia for the adoption of CIMS. – April 24, 2022
