By DayakDaily Team
BINTULU, Sept 28: Sarawak’s first Metropolitan Food Cluster in Opar, Lundu is turning to artificial intelligence (AI), precision agriculture and controlled-environment technology to cut operational costs by up to 25 per cent and increase crop yields by as much as 20 per cent.
The technology behind the 84-hectare food-production hub was among the innovations briefed to Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg during his walkthrough of the Sarawak Metropolitan Food Cluster (SMFC) Consortium’s showcase at Sarawak Agrofest 2026 here today.
Located at Stungkor, Opar, the Metropolitan Food Cluster (MFC) is being developed as an integrated food ecosystem bringing together production, processing, technology, logistics and supporting facilities.
The project is being developed through a public-private partnership (PPP) between SMFC Consortium and the Sarawak Land Development Board (SLDB), an agency under the Ministry of Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD).
Targeted for completion in 2027, the project is currently progressing ahead of schedule.
SMFC said its AI and agricultural technologies, jointly developed through Dutch and Sarawakian expertise, are intended to help farmers make better decisions, optimise resources and improve the resilience of the local food supply chain.
“Powered by AI and technology jointly developed through Dutch and Sarawakian expertise, the SMFC builds on proven applications across Southeast Asia to bring smarter, more efficient agricultural practices to Sarawak.
“The technology has the potential to deliver up to 25 per cent savings in operational costs and increase crop yields by up to 20 per cent, helping farmers produce more efficiently while strengthening the resilience of the local food supply chain,” the consortium said in a statement.
One of the technologies being showcased is “Plant Empowerment”, which focuses on balancing key growing conditions to maximise the genetic potential of plants.
It considers factors including humidity, temperature, substrate conditions, plant profile and seed, supported by systems identified as Hydros, Climate Chamber and Aura Pass.
The approach forms part of the wider MFC concept, which incorporates advanced autonomous agricultural technologies adapted from the Netherlands in collaboration with Sarawak.
But the Opar cluster is also designed to tackle what happens after crops are produced — including agricultural waste.
Under the concept “Upcycling Agri-Waste into Agri-Wealth”, the SMFC showcase demonstrates how agricultural materials and food-industry by-products could be channelled into other productive uses rather than simply discarded.
Three feed-related products are featured — RumiBase, a general maintenance or basic ration; RumiBoost, a higher-protein and fibre supplement; and RumiGrow, aimed at cattle growth and fattening.
“Circularity is an important part of the MFC concept. What would traditionally be regarded as agricultural waste can potentially become an input for another part of the food-production system,” SMFC said.
The planned MFC Opar will include a consolidation centre, food and beverage processing plant, animal-feed processing plant, greenhouse and greenhouse service centre.
An experience centre incorporating an event hall, retail centre and offices is also planned.
SMFC said the concept is not simply about putting individual technologies into farms, but connecting production, data, infrastructure, processing and sustainability into one integrated system.
“The Metropolitan Food Cluster represents a different way of looking at agriculture. It is not simply about introducing individual technologies to farms, but about connecting production, data, infrastructure, processing and sustainability into an integrated ecosystem,” it said.
Beyond increasing food-production capacity, the project is intended to create opportunities in technology transfer, skilled employment, entrepreneurship and modern agribusiness while strengthening the food supply chain.
“MFC Opar is ultimately about demonstrating what the next generation of Sarawak agriculture could look like — productive, AI-enabled, increasingly autonomous, integrated and commercially sustainable,” the consortium said.
It added that the project would also focus on building local capability, enabling farmers and agripreneurs, as well as engineers and young digital talent, to participate in and create value from the transformation of Sarawak’s food industry.
The MFC Opar showcase is aligned with this year’s Sarawak Agrofest theme, “Innovating Agriculture for Food Security”.
Organised by M-FICORD, Sarawak Agrofest 2026 is being held at the Old Bintulu Airport from Sept 25 to Oct 4. — DayakDaily
