@ AGROBiz | JANUARY-FEBRUARY . 2024

The Pakar Pertanian Expo sets the stage to explore cutting-edge advancements in farming technology

BY DANIAL FAUZI

Held at the MAEPS Serdang Selangor , this meeting of minds will primarily focus on revolutionising the agriculture sector . It will set the stage to explore cutting-edge advancements in farming technology that could shape the future of the industry ’ s growth and development , emphasising innovation and integrating modern technologies into the farming sector .

PPE 2024 would also expand the horizons of those attending to even more sectors other than crops and plantations , such as fisheries , livestock , and food processing .

“ Our primary goal for this exhibition is that by hosting these kinds of exhibitions , we can help the industry players connect and subsequently improve the industry in terms of knowing more technologies , both from local and international practitioners ,” said PPE organiser and Nongyeh . com Chief Executive Officer ( CEO ) and Co-Founder , Jansen Wong .

“ For PPE 2024 , we have big industry players such as Sime Darby to showcase new agricultural technologies and types of machinery as well as sharing information that would assist the industry not only for farmers but also for planters as well ,” added Nongyeh . com Chief Operating Officer ( COO ) and Co-Founder , James Lim .

EXPLORING NEW SOURCES

Despite the abundance of land and natural resources , Malaysia still has a problem of ensuring food security . The country is not producing enough food but instead relying heavily on imports .

This year ’ s PPE exhibition will attract around 10,000 local and international visitors . Wong added that almost every

From Left : James Lim and Jansen Wong .

“ Our primary goal for this exhibition is that by hosting these kinds of exhibitions , we can help the industry players connect and subsequently improve the industry in terms of knowing more technologies , both from local and international practitioners .” – Jansen Wong state in the country will play a role in the exhibition through their associations . The exhibition will highlight outdoor product demonstrations and more than 70 seminars focusing on various crop types .

An issue Wong brought up is that Malaysian farmers tend to focus only on one crop type for farming production yield .

“ The seminars will cover almost all types of crops , not just one . We will be covering vanilla plants , pineapple , paddy and the like . These crops are not new , but in Malaysia , many farmers are not exposed to these types of crops . For this exhibition , we highly encourage farmers to explore new types of crops ,” he said , adding that this is considered high value farming .”

Lim added : “ Furthermore , we ensure everyone benefits from the exhibition . We collaborated with multiple supporting bodies , from government to private institutions and our media partners , to attract visitors from both the local and international scenes .”

ADAPTING TO THE FUTURE LANDSCAPE

Besides the issue of only focusing on one crop , another issue that plagues Malaysia ’ s food security is that some of our farmers are slow to adapt to new changes in the agricultural landscape .

As the population increases , it is logical that more food with higher yields must be produced to feed the burgeoning population . However , some traditional farmers continue to use old methods of farming crops , which , by modern standards , tend to be outdated and not sufficient to feed citizens .

“ Some local farmers do not get the opportunity to meet with professionals within the industry ,” explained Lim .

“ Some farmers also lacked the knowledge on proper farming methods and etiquettes , such as determining the amount of fertiliser to be used when planting crops .”

He added that local farmers who visit the PPE exhibition will get to meet with industry experts and explore new and advanced technologies that will increase farming efficiency for higher crop yields and lessen their burden by improving their quality of life .

Wong highlighted that the exhibition ’ s seminars will feature speakers from both the local and international markets . “ We have speakers , professors and lecturers from Universiti Putra Malaysia ( UPM ) and speakers from the Jabatan Pertanian Malaysia .

“ On the international side , we have invited two speakers from Indonesia and Thailand who will share their experience in shrimp and vegetable farming in their countries .”

He said the seminar speakers would focus on product introductions and their life experiences in the industry .

Wong explained that sharing their vast experience and knowledge in the industry will allow local farmers to learn first-hand from the experts . The experience that the speakers bring will be invaluable when it comes to adapting to new technologies , equipment and products , further improving the overall farming process . – @ AGROBiz