IN the pursuit of encouraging the adoption of innovation among farmers, the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and CIMB Bank Group held an immersion exercise with digitally-powered farmers in Kuala Langat yesterday, revealing the achievements of the farmers since the programme was first launched in 2018.
The excursion also allowed both companies to understand the current needs of the farmers and share latest technologies that could boost their ongoing digital journey.
It was found that since the development of agriculture tech and its rollout into selected farms at Kuala Langat, with the support and partnership with Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan Kuala Langat (PPKKL), via the chilli pilot project that was introduced four years ago, the farmers managed to improve their yields and crop quality.
The Digital Agriculture programme played a vital role in helping Malaysian farmers adopt digital agricultural solutions for improved efficiency and increased crop revenue.
The programme’s initiatives have seen farmers adopt an Internet of things (IoT)-enabled fertigation system that has helped them reduce monthly fertiliser use by 20%, lower monthly manpower requirements by 50% and increase the quality of yield (Grade A chilies) by up to 90%.
“The purpose of the visit is to see how MDEC is able to further expand the capabilities of farmers by using agriculture tech and other IoT powered solutions. As is, farming is fundamental to Malaysia’s economy and we have introduced various efforts to reach out to farmers to ensure there is growth and transformation,” said MDEC chairman Datuk Rais Hussin Mohamed Ariff.
He added that MDEC plans to continue to bring innovation and solutions to farmers and is working immediately to address the next steps in elevating agtech in Malaysia and livelihoods of farmers.
Moreover, PPKKL is now able to use these next-gen technologies to not just boost their crop yield and management of the growth cycle of their produce, but to also become quick adopters of all-new digital capabilities like digital wallet and banking, progressive device management and remote management.
With the increased rate of farmers embracing agriculture technology, MDEC CEO Surina Shukri noted that more youths are more open to the idea of exploring the agriculture industry by working towards digitally transforming it.
“It’s amazing to see how there are so many youths keen to go back into the agriculture sector. Even before COVID-19 hit, there was a growing surge amongst the youth in the tech-powered farming space and we have seen results through their innovative ideas,” she said.
“It’s no longer about being cool as those who are venturing into this space as I sincerely believe that they are doing something positive for this transformative sector,” Surina added. – March 20, 2021
