UPM to set up industrial excellence centre
BINTULU: Universiti Putra Malaysia ( UPM) in collaboration with The Holstein Milk Company Sdn Bhd will set up an industrial excellence centre to be known as UPM-Farmfresh on a 65-hectare site at its campus here.
UPM vice chancellor Prof Datin Paduka Dr Aini Ideris said the collaboration with the industrial partner is to establish model orchard, aquaculture farming and dairy farm which will cover the whole industry chain from upstream to downstream including marketing.
“This will serve as model farm that facilitates the teaching, learning, and researching in livestock and dairy fields for students and lecturers,” she said during a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Uggah, who is the Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, was on a working visit to UPM Bintulu campus yesterday.
Aini said UPM Bintulu campus is strategically located in the central region of Sarawak with lots of potential.
Being a research university, UPM she said would continue playing its vital role to work together with the Sarawak government and other stakeholders to further utilise the resources and new sectors which have yet to be fully explored.
This she said was in line with UPM’s aspiration to become a centre of higher learning institution which is recognised internationally.
“To make UPM Bintulu campus more dynamic, UPM has come up with a strategy to introduce more Bachelor and Postgraduate programmes in the relevant fields to meet the needs of the country, especially on human resource development and local industries.
“Teaching, learning, researching and professional service in agricultural sector will get a further boost strategically in the future and UPMKB will explore new fields to fulfil the needs of the future jobs market,” she added.
Aini also believed that it is time for UPM to think seriously on how to ensure the impact of researches can be felt across the academic field to benefit local communities. UPM she said is proud of its translational researches like PadiU Putra, E- cutter, Sarawak pepper farm and ‘Matag’ coconut project.
Also present was UPMV deputy vice chancellor and UPMKB director Prof Dr Bujang Kim Huat.