Agriculture is one of the more important
sectors in Malaysia. According to Department of Statistics Malaysia (2019), agriculture
is the third highest GDP contributor with 7.1% or MYR 101.5 billion (USD 24.5
billion) to overall GDP.
From B2B trading platforms to AI-powered
plant health monitoring solutions, technologies have been undertaken for many
years to boost the agriculture sector. We have picked five interesting startups
for a broader list:
(i) Farm
from a Box (U.S.)
Farm from a Box sells all-in-one system that
provides the easiest and most efficient way to start farming. It built from a
modified shipping container, each unit contains a complete ecosystem of smart
farm technologies to enhance agricultural productivity; from renewable power
and micro-drip irrigation, to Information and Communications Technology. It
helps conserve water, improve soil quality, and increase nutrient rich-farm
production.
(ii) iGrow (Indonesia)
iGrow operates as a crowdfunding
platform for farming. Investors can pick whichever projects they like,
including different types of vegetables, marine products or aquatic feeds. The
proceeds are then utilized by farmers to carry out the entire farming operation
and the revenue generated will be shared with the investors. The returns range
from 12% to 18% p.a.
(iii) eFishery (Indonesia)
eFishery’s innovative fish-feeding
strategy consists of a smart feeder that uses motion sensors to detect a fish’s
appetite. If the fishes seem hungry or unsettled, the feeder automatically
dispenses food. Farmers can also check in on their fishes through the
accompanying platform, and schedule feeding times or regulate the system in
real-time if necessary. The overall effect—better risk management and increased
production efficiency.
(iv) Pasar Grub (Malaysia)
Malaysian edible food waste can fill the
KLCC Tower in 18 days. Vegetables and fruits are thrown away simply because
they are not of the right color, shape or weight. Pasar Grub, a platform
connects farmers and distributors to people in need and gives the food a 2nd
life. Fruits and vegetables here are selling at affordable price while at the
same time helping farmers to reduce fresh produce wastage.
(v) Ecosia
(Germany)
Hmm... Not
really relevant to agriculture but we found this interesting.
Ecosia is the
only search engine in the world that uses ad revenue to plant trees. So far the
company claims to have planted over 80 million trees in Ethiopia, Brazil,
Indonesia, Spain, and other countries. Ecosia is also now an official search
engine option alongside Google Search, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo!
We listed only five here but there are
many more agritech startups out there. With more usage of AI and data, the
landscape of the agriculture sector will change. Some global issues such as resource
depletion, land insufficiency, and food waste could be solved through these
changes. And with digital platforms connecting farms and businesses, trading agents
or middlemen may become unnecessary soon. This may reduce costs and better
results in the future.
Reference:
Official website of companies
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