With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), various industries, including agriculture, have undergone significant transformations, especially in terms of techniques and methods that align with modernization trends.
An alumnus of the Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Muhammad Shafiq Saari, 34, emphasized that the agricultural business in Malaysia is vast and that youth should seize the opportunity to explore this field.
“Agriculture careers are not limited to selling produce but can also include offering consultancy services, providing and installing farming systems, Internet of Things (IoT) services, and agricultural application management,” he said.
During his final year project, he shared his initial experience with agricultural technology, where he applied the Geographical Information System (GIS) and Site-Specific Management to control pests and diseases in crops using fertigation methods.
“I used this method for pest and disease control on a 100-acre durian farm and later applied it to 60,000 chili plants at Braintree Sdn Bhd,” he explained.
Agriculture can boost state economies through precision farming, not just in planting methods but also in management and real-time sales. This ensures farmers, wholesalers, and consumers receive sufficient and safe yields.
Currently, Muhammad Shafiq monitors farms in Selangor and Perlis virtually from his home in Bidor, Perak.
He believes agricultural studies remain relevant but need to adapt to modern advancements, suggesting changes to the curriculum.
“The perception that agriculture has no future stems from the lack of centralized data, crop calendars, and proper planting schedules. This often leads to an oversupply of the same crops across states,” he said.
He proposed implementing seasonal regional planting or forming expert groups to create organized planting schedules.
Additionally, he encouraged farmers to diversify crops and sell value-added products rather than raw produce.
“For example, small ready-to-eat or ready-to-cook packaged products can increase sales value,” he added.
Muhammad Shafiq also highlighted the importance of cultivating entrepreneurial skills among youth to make agriculture profitable rather than a risky venture.
“Entrepreneurship must be instilled in every farmer, shaping the mindset that agriculture is lucrative rather than a gamble with uncertain outcomes,” he stated.
He suggested that agricultural agencies provide entrepreneurship programs, sales courses, post-harvest training, and agricultural technology courses, alongside collaboration with experts to nurture interest in agribusiness among Malaysians.
“Be creative in agriculture, as there are vast opportunities in this field. Among the 400,000 existing farmers in Malaysia, strive to be a leader among them.
“Don’t limit the scope of agriculture to planting crops. In the era of IR 4.0, modern farmers must also plant in the cloud and harvest real-time data to align customer demands with agricultural production or services,” he concluded. •
“Agriculture careers are not limited to selling produce but can also include offering consultancy services, providing and installing farming systems, Internet of Things (IoT) services, and agricultural application management.”
