THE pilot Smart Agriculture Pilot Project under the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) has achieved remarkable results.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the facility consists of two high-tech greenhouses and an open field farming area, equipped with IoT sensors, smart integrated precision fertigation and irrigation systems.
“The pilot project has already delivered strong results, achieving 50 per cent manpower savings, 60 per cent water savings, and a 30 per cent reduction in fertiliser wastage since 2023.
“This model can be replicated for other crops, such as paddy cultivation, to help farmers produce more with less,” he said in his winding-up speech during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on Wednesday (Dec 3).
Abang Johari, who is also Finance and New Economy Minister said the Sarawak government has also allocated RM30 million to SALCRA to develop quality palm oil–based animal feed at reasonable prices.
“At the Palm Kernel Crushing Plant in Lubok Antu and the ruminant feed mill in Saratok, palm kernel expeller and empty fruit bunches are processed into feed pellets, with the mill capable of producing around 20,000 metric tonnes of palm-based ruminant feed a year,” he said.
He added that the integrated approach reduces the state’s dependence on imported feed, strengthens the local agricultural value chain and creates new income opportunities for smallholders, while promoting a more circular, low- carbon rural economy.
“Waste will be reimagined as a valuable resource to be utilised.
“The Sustainable Resources and Wastes Management Bill, 2025, recently passed in this august House, will allow Sarawak to harness our bioresources – from oil palm, woody biomass, sago and municipal waste – as feedstock for bioenergy and value-added products, including waste-to-energy solutions, turning waste into new opportunities and income for our people.
“Don’t waste the waste, monetise the waste,” said Abang Johari.
