Use new technology, Camerons farmers urged
KUALA LUMPUR: Farmers in Cameron Highlands have been urged to use modern agricultural technology to maximise production and reduce costs and labour.
Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH) president Ramakrishnan Ramasamy said many farmers were experiencing the results of uncontrolled farming, and they were in trouble due to the clash between morality, ecological reality and the state of the economy.
“Intensive farming has been happening in Cameron Highlands for decades, with no oversight.
“Despite damaging land and polluting rivers, the greed for profit has ensured that farmers continue to produce agricultural goods as cheaply as possible.
“It may seem hard, even costly, but there is no alternative to sustainable agriculture,” he told the New Straits Times.
He said modern farming not only required less labour, but would reduce dependence on water for key crops and use fewer pesticides.
He said Cameron Highlands was densely populated, with a population of 35,000, which was the maximum limit.
Most farms were built on hillslopes, punctuated by nine towns and villages that stretch for 37km along a major trunk road from Ringlet to Kampung Raja.
Big greenhouses stretch across the countryside, usually white for the best reflection. They glint when the sun shines, and emanate an orange and purple glow from light bulbs at night.
On Sunday, it was reported that acute labour shortage was threatening Cameron Highlands’ agricultural sector, which could lead to severe losses for farmers and rising vegetable prices.
With salaries as low as RM1,100, 12-hour work days doing backbreaking manual labour and largely unregulated working conditions, Malaysians are not rushing to take these jobs.
Cameron Highlands Flower Growers Association vice-president Wong Seng Yee said a group of farmers had started to adopt newer technology to ensure sustainable farming.
They developed an application, “Tanahmu”, as a gateway to agricultural technology.
Tanahmu is a platform that allows six categories of industry players — farmers, raw material suppliers, product producers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers — to trade under a new agro-ecosystem.
Wong said: “All categories of players can obtain information on farming practices, weather conditions, location of raw material and product supply, market access and prices.
“This platform facilitates business matching between the industry players.
“Based on the fair review system at Tanahmu’s new agroecosystem, reliable products can be sold and bought fairly and reasonably.”
In promoting greater efficiency through new agricultural practices, the app is an example of technology that helps users increase productivity and save cost.
However, Wong said, Cameron Highlands farmers were not as science-driven as they were market-driven to meet the challenge that lay ahead.
He said collaboration between the government and farmers would drive farming innovation.
“If massive increases in agricultural yield are not achieved, we can expect not only food shortages and rising prices, but a risk to food security.
“The risk must not be taken lightly because our agriculture is straining to meet a rapidly growing demand from a finite resource base.”