By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Feb 21: Farmers in Sarawak are seeing significant improvements in productivity and income through the adoption of Digital Agriculture Technology (AgTech)—a Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) initiative in collaboration with ecosystem partners to modernise the nation’s agricultural sector.
Deputy Minister of Digital Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong highlighted the success of Chua Hua Beng, a former soldier who transitioned into Empurau fish farming.
“By utilising an AI-driven monitoring system, he has increased his farm’s productivity by more than 20 per cent, earning an additional RM3,000 per pond per season,” Ugak said at the Jelajah Malaysia Digital (JMD) programme in Kapit today. A copy of his speech was made available to DayakDaily after the function.
Ugak also shared the success of Haz Atika Halffeez, a 35-year-old farmer who has embraced digital tools in vegetable farming.
Through AgTech, she has improved her tomato, cucumber, and chili yields by more than 20 per cent, generating an extra RM3,000 per acre per season.
Beyond agriculture, Ugak noted that the Ministry of Digital, through MDEC, has introduced initiatives such as eUsahawan and MyDigitalMaker to enhance digital skills among Malaysians.
Since 2015, eUsahawan has trained over 564,629 participants, generating a total sales revenue of RM1.26 billion, including 34,104 entrepreneurs in Sarawak, who have collectively earned more than RM51.63 million.
Meanwhile, the MyDigitalMaker programme has introduced more than 2.5 million students to digital technology, with 150,000 participants joining the MyDigitalMaker Carnival, including 40,000 students in Sarawak.
Additionally, the Digital Ninja programme has trained 24 students since 2020, while the #CikguJuaraDigital initiative has equipped 905 teachers in Sarawak with digital skills. – DayakDaily
