KUCHING: i-CATS University College (i-CATS) has been roped in to produce animal feed and fertiliser using biomass waste as part of efforts to support the state’s agriculture sector.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said he has approved a 10-acre piece of land in Samarahan to produce the animal feed and fertiliser.
“I met with i-CATS, and we discussed how to fatten our livestock, and apparently we have the feedstock from our biomass to produce animal feed which is very much cheaper than the animal feed that we import from overseas.
“So, we are going to have our own lab to produce this (animal feed) and it will be managed by i-CATS,” he said at the Digital Transformation Via Accelerated Application seminar held at Pullman Hotel here today.
Abang Johari noted that i-CATS has the human resource for the agriculture sector.
“I need them (i-CATS) to do it because they have postgraduate students who can interact with the farming community.
“In other words, these students will be transferring the technology (that they have), and of course they have to use the data, so this is one of the aspects where this digitalisation is very important and data is important for us to move forward,” he said.
He said i-CATS will also use the Agriculture Research Centre in Asajaya to carry out research.
“As you know, there is an Agriculture Research Centre in Asajaya, so what we do is that the university can use the centre and they will have the lab carry out research with the community,” he said.
Abang Johari said there is waste from coconut and palm oil which can be turned into biomass and which can be turned into animal feed and fertiliser.
“There was a PhD graduate who has been with the villagers and has effectively increased the weight of livestock from 14kg to 50kg.
“Hence, it has been very effective, and we can use that to increase the quality and quantity of livestock,” he said.
