MALAYSIAN agarwood plantation company DAdvance Agarwood Solutions Sdn Bhd (DAAS) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) to implement cloud-based digital solutions within the agarwood sub-industry.
The collaboration also features robotics solution and industry automation specialist XTS Technologies Sdn Bhd which has been brought within the fold to play a key role in developing the hardware and software to facilitate this initiative.
With the partnership DAAS is looking to leverage on innovative technology through Huawei’s expertise to incorporate the Internet of Things (IOT), 5G connectivity and big data into the agarwood production process to improve precision in Aquilaria farming and the quality and quantity of resin formation with the aim of increasing resin production to 90% in a harvesting period of 24 months.
Agarwood is a fragrant dark resinous component of the Aquilaria tree that is highly treasured within medicinal, jewellery, fragrance and essential oil segments.
Globally, the agarwood market trade is estimated to be valued at US$32 bil with the number expecting to double to US$64 bil by end-2029, making agarwood the world’s most valuable plant species.
“After extensive research, we discovered significant potential in incorporating 5G Technology into our business,” said DAAS founder David Liew.
“As a leading Agarwood producer, we are proud to be amongst the first in the agarwood industry to tap into cutting-edge technologies to better improve our processes and consequently margins.”
Cutting edge technologies in agarwood industry
Through this collaboration, DAAS and Huawei will implement a Precision Agriculture solution at a 150-acre plantation in Temerloh, Pahang comprising intelligent capacitive sensors and hardware for the collection of data in the Aquilaria plantation such as temperature, humidity, climate, soil and water level to optimise the trees’ growth.
This will help DAAS keep track of the plantation process while being able to detect patterns that will continue to positively impact the growth process of agarwood.
When used long term, these technologies are expected to improve efficiency, reduce overall time required and increase production rates resulting in a potential revenue of RM300 mil in approximately six years.
“We are pleased to work with DAAS and XTS Technologies to elevate the agriculture industry by incorporating cutting edge IoT, 5G and big data technologies,” said Huawei Cloud & AI Business Group vice president Lim Chee Siong.
“We are confident that these technologies will provide the required data and insights to increase productivity and ensure sustainable growth within the agarwood sector.
“We believe that this, in turn, will benefit other agriculture industry players and end consumers as well.”
The partnership is also set to be beneficial for end consumers as the technology will allow consumers to learn about the origins of their agarwood products including harvest sites, year of planting, types of fertiliser and inoculation vaccine version.
Customers also have access to laboratory reports and all associated data input of their products. The greater insight on the material is anticipated to help increase overall value.
Meanwhile, XTS Technologies founder and managing director Xteven Teoh expressed their hopes of bringing their 13 years of experience into the agarwood industry to establish the company as a key player in the industry.
“As a robotic solution and industry automation specialist that will play a key role in developing the hardware and software to facilitate this initiative, we are proud to be a part of this collaborative effort in providing our services that will cover the hardware, software and programme algorithm,” he commented. – April 7, 2022
