KUCHING: Sarawak is collaborating with universities to engage their students and lecturers in smart agriculture research and projects.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said this is to ensure the younger generation embrace modern agricultural technology through apprenticeship programmes.
“We have the universities involved such as Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak, i-CATS University College (i-CATS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and these students will undergo practical training and also get to work closely with the farming community.
“This means that, upon graduation, the students can choose farming as their career and they can apply the technological knowledge they have gained,” he said when officiating at the first International Conference on Biotechnology, Smart Farming and Entrepreneurship for Food Security (BioSFE) 2023 at Riverside Majestic Hotel here today (Sept 25).
Abang Johari further said for instance, a project carried out by i-CATS in Kampung Kaba, Saratok saw the university’s students and lecturers successfully produce animal feed from biomass.
“The same goes to UiTM Sarawak, where I have asked them to conduct study on the technology related to algae as we also want the smallholders to be able to cultivate algae for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF),” he said.
He added when students are involved in the agriculture projects that hold potential, this of course required technology and financial support. Hence, the Sarawak government plans to set up a special fund to finance the smart agriculture project to increase the production of the food industry in the state.
“There needs to be venture capital to be given to the students and we need to help the students through these funding facilities,” he said.
Later at a press conference, Abang Johari said university students involved in agriculture related programmes and the food industry in Sarawak also have the opportunity to be placed in agroparks after they graduated.
“With seven more years for Sarawak to achieve its aim of becoming a net food exporter by 2030, I have roped in the universities where their students take up programmes based on the food industry and they will be placed in the agro parks once they graduated.
“And once they are serious, we can place them in agroparks and they can produce food products based on the new technology,” he said.
He added Sarawak was currently developing agroparks and these will become industrial parks.
“However, to achieve all these, it requires funding. And I will announce this special funding in two months’ time,” he said.
