Page 9 - Berita Sunway - Issue 71

Features

FRESH GREENS CLOSE TO HOME TECH FOR SMARTER FARMING

U Sunway Group chief innovation officer W take immediate action to treat it. Real-time
“ rban farming does not replace traditional ith technology such as Internet of physical condition and health so the farmer can
farming but complements it,” said
Things (IoT), where devices are
interconnected to one another via
efficient plant management, he said.
and Sunway iLabs director Matthijs van Leeuwen. the Internet), Sunway FutureX Farm is the ideal visual impressions of the farm make for more
testing ground for agritech.
“With the average age of traditional farmers Employing hydroponics or water-based
ranging between the 50s and 60s, it is frightening “With IoT, we can measure the plant’s growth. farming uses 90% less water, generates 30%
to rely solely on this aging generation. Technology We collect data via sensors to ‘hear what the to 40% higher yield per square feet and does
has excited the younger generation to go into plants are telling us’, whether they need not require pesticides or herbicides.
farming so we’re giving them access to a pilot sunlight, nutrients or adjusted temperature.
farm, funding, and markets,” said van Leeuwen. Then we can ‘speak back’ and respond by According to the United Nations Environment
cooling the greenhouse or feeding them,” Programme, up to 33% of all food harvested
Sunway FutureX Farm has been set up with explained van Leeuwen. globally is wasted. Sunway FutureX Farm
funding and talent provided by Sunway Property hopes to address this with precision farming
and Sunway Education Group respectively. IoT not only allows one to adjust the parameters using IoT and imaging technology.
of the greenhouse in real-time, but this process
“Sunway Property is looking at potential can be automated and done remotely, reducing “With real-time, accurate market data, we are
spaces around their development projects to the need for manual labour. able to control what we are growing especially
set up urban farm plots. We are also in talks since the plants are hydroponic and not soil-
with Sunway City Iskandar Puteri and Sunway Imaging technology using cameras means based. We can produce exactly what the market
Penang about urban farming – it is also a great that one can zoom into each plant to assess its needs and cut wastage,” said van Leeuwen.
way to bring people in the community together,”
said van Leeuwen.

Urban population
expected to reach
6.5

billion
by 2050

If urban farming is to expand exponentially in
Recently, Sunway FutureX Farm teamed up NURTURING MORE Malaysia, the government would do well to learn
with Sunway Property to launch its Growner ‘AGRIPRENEURS’ from Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ initiative, which aims
(Growing and Owning) model for individuals to locally produce 30% of the country’s domestic
who want to grow their own fresh produce but rue to FutureX Farm’s objective of food consumption by 2030, said van Leeuwen.
lack the space and time to manage it. educating and empowering communities
Tabout sustainable living and urban “There are no specific venture capital or funds for
“We can give you a small farm plot, provide the farming, van Leeuwen said they are exploring entrepreneurs here to invest into urban farming.
seeds and gardening material, and we will manage opportunities to conduct different courses on Singapore has clear programmes to help urban
it for you. You can then pick up your greens or urban farming around the Klang Valley. farmers and increase the 10% domestic food
have it delivered to you weekly,” he said. production to 30% in 10 years’ time,” he said.
These include a three-month ‘agripreneur’
The Growner initiative aims to shorten the (agricultural entrepreneur) course to develop Sunway iLabs Super Accelerator Programme,
supply chain of traditional agriculture farming entrepreneurs in the agriculture industry and a which was launched in July, helps bridge the
by bringing the farm within a 5km vicinity of one-day course on urban farming for members of funding gap by providing RM100,000 in seed
homeowners. the public. funding, mentorship and market access to
Sunway City’s Six ‘Living Lab’ verticals – one of
Locally grown fresh produce is not only fresher The design of the courses is being finalised, and which is Agri-foodtech.
and healthier but it helps contribute to food the courses will be launched by first quarter of
security by reducing reliance on imported goods 2021.
and global supply chains. 9