UMP, TERAJU enhance bumiputera development sustainability in agricultural projects

KUANTAN, 23 October 2021 – Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) and Bumiputera Agenda Steering Unit (TERAJU) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) which will open up opportunities for small- and medium-enterprise entrepreneurs (B40 group) to produce agricultural products (chilli and eggplant) for local market through the Bumiputera Entrepreneur Development Fund Programme (DPUB).

DPUB is a combination of the internet of things (IoT) system and fertigation to facilitate the B40 group.

The ceremony witnessed the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni), who acts as the Vice-Chancellor of UMP, Professor Dato’ Ts. Dr. Yuserrie Zainuddin signed the agreement on behalf of UMP, while TERAJU was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Md Silmi Abd Rahman.

Present to witness the ceremony was the Chairman of the Board of UMP), Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman.
 
DPUB is an income generation programme for the B40 group based on the concept of the Quadruple Helix Model to foster social innovation towards sustainable communities.

The main objective of the DPUB Programme is to raise the living standards of Bumiputera, especially the B40 group among the rural community, together with the national agenda of Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 (WKB2030).

According to Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr. Abdul Aziz, this programme enables local agropreneurs to increase their agricultural productivity with the help of convenient and effective technology.

“The IoT Based Smart Farming System project proposed by UMP to TERAJU will be implemented for the DPUB 2020 Programme in Pahang.

“It involves 45 B40 entrepreneurs in the Kuantan, Pekan, Maran and Temerloh districts.

“The result of this joint innovation project between the IoT system and fertigation (chilli and eggplant) will facilitate the participants’ agricultural activities,” he said.
 

In the meantime, he said, the participants for this project will be supplied with agricultural equipment in the form of a smart fertigation system that is more efficient and user-friendly compared to traditional planting systems and conventional fertigation systems. 

“In fact, the fertigation system that will be proposed in this project is equipped with an IoT-driven automatic mechanism, where the control and monitoring system is carried out entirely through the alarm system and sent directly to the user’s mobile phone app.

“It enables information to be read directly and clearly on the phone wherever the user is and allows them to take appropriate actions through an online app developed by UMP researchers.

“UMP is always innovating and diversifying research to provide an environment that can help agropreneurs manage their agriculture better,” he said in a ceremony held at Zenith Hotel, Kuantan.

Meanwhile, according to Md Silmi, the fertigation project is also reserved for the low-income poor (B40) who meet the set criteria to help reduce poverty through a combination of agriculture and technology applications.

“This project is also expected to transform the B40 group to the M40 group within five years’ implementation and monitoring period.

“This program aims to provide additional income to the involving B40 group with at least RM2,500 monthly within the five years that this project is implemented,” he said.

“This project will also involve NGOs and other government agencies such as the Malaysian Agropreneurs Organisation (PPAM), Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI), Farmers Organization Authority (LPP) and UMP lecturers to collaborate in ensuring the success of this project.

The programme was also attended by four UMP researchers as the winners of SUPERB, a programme to empower Bumiputera start-up companies to ensure the inclusiveness of their participation in the TERAJU ecosystem.

By: Mimi Rabita Abdul Wahit, Corporate Communications Unit, The Office of The Vice-Chancellor 

Translation by: Dr. Rozaimi Abu Samah, Engineering College/Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology