Malaysia

THE Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the global economy and people's livelihoods. It has accelerated the digital transformation of many nations, with citizens having to learn and work from home, and businesses going online. The pandemic has exposed sectors that lack preparedness in the regional, national and global supply chains. Some sectors that seem distinct actually operate dependently. In… Read more

The growing threat of food waste to the economy, society and the environment has now led governments, businesses, NGOs, academics and the public to attach significant importance to its management. Food waste remains a global challenge as it contributes to climate change, loss of biodiversity, declining water quality, soil degradation, and food insecurity. According to the Solid Waste… Read more

Countries around the world strive for socioeconomic prosperity — Malaysia is no exception. With the end of the year 2020, Malaysia bids a nostalgic goodbye to its Vision 2020 and the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016–2020). The government, through its Economic Planning Unit, is now crafting the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021–2025) with a national agenda of inclusivity and meaningful socioeconomic… Read more

KUALA LUMPUR: Sunway Group has today announced that it will build a 50,000 sq ft urban farming innovation hub. Called Sunway FutureX, the hub will be completed in the third quarter of 2020. Led by Sunway Innovation Labs (Sunway iLabs), Sunway FutureX would be the first of its kind in Malaysia, the group claimed. "It will serve as a skills-building hub for urban farming professionals, tech… Read more

Some 200 million people in Indonesia regularly begin their day by eating food made with fortified wheat flour, getting their daily dose of vitamins and minerals through bread, noodles, or other standard fare. These nutrients are vital to building a strong immune system, which is critical in the face of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Despite stringent preventive measures, the virus has… Read more

In the globally connected market we live in today, the value of food lies in the price for an average person or Malaysian, thus incentivizing the import of cheaper food. The Covid-19 situation could prompt the government to rethink some of its food security policies as well as explore resilient ways to feed the nation. Covid-19 has completely pressured the agri-food value chain. Given the… Read more

An academic has warned of periods of food shortage if the government fails to address disruptions in distribution due to the movement control order (MCO). Fatimah Mohamed Arshad, a researcher at Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Institute of Agricultural and Food Policy Studies, said logistical disruptions would cause delays in the restocking of food items. “Timing is important in any supply… Read more

A rock melon farmer shares how he uses automation in fertigation to fruitful results SIPPING his coffee in the comfort of his home in Bangi, Md Yazid Md Kassim takes out his phone and starts to tap on the screen with a smile. No, he’s not looking at jokes on social media but at a farming tech app that helps his job of looking after his rock melon farm in Pulau Gadong, Melaka. Md Yazid, a… Read more

The government will help vegetable growers in Cameron Highlands, Pahang and Lojing, Gua Musang, resolve the problem of a glut in supply during the movement control order (MCO) period, causing some farmers to discard their produce. Deputy Agriculture and Food Industry Minister II Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi said the ministry will send officers from the Federal Agricultural Marketing… Read more

KUALA LUMPUR: Sino Hua An International Bhd’s subsidiary, Wavetree Technologies Sdn Bhd has collaborated with Top Fruits Sdn Bhd and Mybeecop Sdn Bhd to develop the smart modeling farming project. In an exchange filing today, Sino Hua said the tri-party collaboration has created a digitalized model for the agriculture markets, riding on artificial intelligence-enabled operating models, data… Read more