Smart farms ‘to bring US$320 million to Malaysia by 2020’

Malaysia plans to generate RM1.4 billion (US$320 million) in 2020 by using sensors and data in farms, according to an official leading the national Internet of Things initiative.

IoT could help farmers increase their income, providing them with higher returns and more information on agricultural stocks, said Ahmad Helmi Abdul Halim, Senior Director of Corporate Market Strategy at MIMOS.

For example, it could help farmers track raw material and produce on the government’s online marketplace, AgriBaazar, he added.

MIMOS and the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority will teach farmers how to use sensor technologies, he said. The government has launched a national IoT plan with a target to increase farming productivity by 20% in the next five years.

The government is already piloting sensors in oil palm farms to pollinate flowers. It also plans to use them to automate irrigation and monitor the health of fish in breeding ponds.