By: Nor Azizah Ismail
SUNGKAI, July 8 – FELDA and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) have collaborated on six smart agriculture programmes to support the national food security agenda and produce agri-entrepreneurs that will be able to increase the income of FELDA settlers.
The six programmes with FELDA led by experts from UPM are Agri-entrepreneur Development Programme, FELDA Cow Valley Meats, FELDA Crop Diversification Programme, Smart Agriculture Application to increase Productivity, FELDA Herbal Initiative Programme and FELDA Aquaculture Productivity Improvement Project.
All the mentioned projects will be able to increase the productivity of the agricultural industry and food security.
A UPM-FELDA memorandum of understanding (MOU) could expand the cooperation and benefits of research between the two parties.
The MOU was signed by Prof. Datin Paduka Setia Dato’ Dr. Aini Ideris on behalf of UPM and by FELDA’s Director General, Dato’ Dr. Othman Omar, and witnessed by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, at MRSM FELDA Trolak, in conjunction with the national-level FELDA Settlers Day Celebration 2020, which is celebrated on 7 July 2020.
Also present at the event was UPM Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), Prof. Dato’ Dr. Zulkifli Idrus.
In the agri-entrepreneur programmes suggested by UPM, the settlers involved were predicted to be able to improve the efficiency in the ventured agri-entrepreneurship field through good agricultural practice by receiving guidance and advice from UPM experts.
Prime Minister is confident that the UPM-FELDA cooperation will help to produce successful FELDA entrepreneurs, create new employment opportunities and increase the income of FELDA settlers.
“The cooperation between FELDA and UPM will identify 15 high-value entrepreneurship programmes that can be implemented in FELDA pre-planned areas involving the FELDA community,” says the Prime Minister.
“This cooperation targets 3,170 new entrepreneurs within five months by using the facilities at the Faculty of Agriculture, UPM,” he mentioned.
Prime Minister had also launched the FELDA Herbal Valley programme aligned with UPM’s recommendation for the FELDA Herbal Initiative Programme.
Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Dr. Abdul Shukor Juraimi, said to ensure continuous herbal productivity and high raising income, there is a need for FELDA to build a Herbal Technology Park (TTH).
“The FELDA Herbal Valley needs to play various roles and functions to improve and strengthen the local herbal industry activities by following the herbal value chain rationing while becoming a park to receive and provide services not only to the settlers but also to the surrounding communities in Malaysia,” he said.
Prime Minister also had the opportunity to visit the UPM exhibition booth that showcases six cooperation projects such as herbal tree products, agricultural drones, Putra Red tilapia, Ganocare, E-Cutter, as well as Chewable and Nutritious Moringa Oleifera Leaves Tablets, produced by UPM researchers. These research products are ready to be commercialised to the industry to bring benefits to the community. - UPM
