KUCHING: The Congress on Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (COSAFS 2022) opening ceremony saw a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) inked between Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus as well a symbolic handover of funds for the AgriHub@Gedong project.
The AgriHub@Gedong is a RM3 million paddy transformation project approved by the state government in which the first phase fund of RM1.4 million was handed over by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg earlier this month to start the project.
Universiti Putra Malaysia Kampus Bintulu (UPKM) is currently carrying out a programme to transfer agricultural knowledge and technology to paddy fields with the AgriHub@Gedong being one of the starting points toward smart farming practices in Sarawak.
The university’s effort is in line with the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 to make Sarawak a developed state and become the country’s net food exporter by the year 2030.
The main target of the AgriHub@Gedong project is to increase paddy productivity from 2t/ha to 10t/ha namely five harvests every two years by using soil conditioner technology and smart agriculture from UPMKB’s research to increase the income of farmers in Gedong.
UMPKB is confident that the implementation of AgriHub@Gedong will be the beginning of a ripple effect to transform agriculture in other parts of Sarawak.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) vice chancellor Datuk Professor Dr Mohd Roslan Sulaiman expressed appreciation to Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus on the strategic partnership.
He said they are looking forward to future collaboration and cooperation in academic, research and knowledge transfer among others.
“With the cooperation of Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity, and Regional Development, Department of Agriculture as well as our strategic partner Swinburne University, we are confident that Sarawak’s aspiration to become a food producer by 2030 can be realised,” he said.
