Abstract
Current annual natural rubber (NR) production
in Malaysia have stabilised to about the 1 million tonnes level, down from
the peak of about 1.5 million tonnes in the early to mid-nineties. The
reasons for the decline have been attributed mainly to labour shortage
and the conversion of rubber land to more lucrative crops and to infrastructural,
industrial and residential developments. The rubber industry, although
gradually losing its glitter due to price vagaries, still stood the test
of time because about 400,000 smallholder families are still dependent
on the crop as a means of income and the rubber-based manufacturing industries
need this important raw material. Furthermore, some areas are only suitable
for growing rubber. There has been a significant rise in local consumption
of NR particularly in the latex dipped industry making Malaysia one of
the major rubber products manufacturers in the world outside of USA and
EU markets.
The advances in rubber cultivation and processing attained by the Malaysian rubber industry owed a great deal to the R&D exploits of the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM). Significant breakthroughs in research resulted in new technologies spawned over the years to develop the upstream, processing and downstream sectors. Some advances in rubber cultivation and processing are described in this paper.
Estate Mechanization in Paddy
Production -The Felcra Seberang Perak Experience
Kok Kam Sang
FELCRA Plantation Services Sdn
Bhd
Kuala Lumpur
Abstract
Traditional paddy cultivation has always been
viewed as labour intensive and a “back-breaking” job. In Malaysia the introduction
of appropriate mechanization technologies had been able to replace many
of the highly labour-dependent activities associated with paddy cultivation
and enabled continuous annual double cropping and high paddy yields to
be sustained.
The recent renewed interest in paddy production
saw new players from the private sector involved in developing new paddy
plantations. Mechanization undoubtedly was one of the major enabling factors
which facilitated this involvement.
The scale and extend to which new paddy plantations
will be developed is likely to be dependent on the successful adoption
of labour-saving technologies and mechanization, particularly. The use
of aerial application, laser technology and computer-based precision farming
for example may hold the key to successful development of future paddy
plantations
Mechanisation of Tea
T. B. Russell
Boh Plantation Sdn Bhd
Bukit Cheeding Packing Factory
Batu 6, Jl Kg Seri Cheeding
42700 Banting, Selangor DE
Abstract
An outline is given of progress in tea cultivation,
processing and packing in the last quarter of the twentieth century, at
Boh Plantations, Malaysia's leading tea producer. Vertical integration
and mechanization enabled the company to stay competitive through a period
of chronic labour shortage and despite being in a relatively high
wage economy compared with most tea-producing countries. Labour productivity
has improved dramatically.
Greater progress has been made in the lowlands
where plucking, pruning, fertiliser application and weed control are almost
fully mechanised; tea nursery/planting and root disease control are remaining
manual operation.
The current research focus is on mechanisation
on field operations in the highlands. An airstrip has been built
at Boh for aerial fertiliser application on all three highland estates.
Steep terrain precludes the use of self-propelled machinery in the highland
fields. Tea is plucked either with shear or Japanesse tea harvester;
winches are now being introduced to assist plucking on steep slopes and
the evacuation of bags of leaf.
Three new factories have been built, incorporating
a number of changes in processing and reducing labour requirement.
From a packing shed where tea was packed by hand, except for one teabag
machine, almost all product are now packed by machine in a new packing
factory opened in 1996
Aeroponics - Farming System of
The New Millennium
Joseph Tek Choon Yee, Ng Boon Chuen, Lee Cheng
Yee and Gan Lian Tiong1 and Lee Sing Kong2
Modernisation of Irrigation and
Drainage Management for Agricultural Production
Mohd. Azhari Bin Ghazalli
Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran
Malaysia
Jalan Sultan Salahuddin
50626 Kuala Lumpur
Abstract
The subject of irrigation and drainage are complex
in nature where many factors and activities such as human behavior, physical
systems, natural resources, climate, crop production and financial transactions
interact. For optimal agricultural production, it is desirable that information
from all the interacting factors be incorporated in the decision making
process. Changing farming practices coupled with resource scarcity and
environmental requirements are mounting pressures on the need for modernization
of the irrigation and drainage system management. With the current development
in electronic technology, computer-based water management and automation
could provide improved water management through real-time demanded irrigation
and drainage system.
Agricultural Marketing-Reducing
Post-Harvest Losses For Value-Added
Fresh Produce
Lee Teck Loong
Federal Agricultural Marketing
Authority (FAMA)
Bandar Baru Selayang
Batu Caves, Selangor DE.
Abstract
Local production of food has been lagging behind
the rapid increase in domestic demand, resulting in increasing imports
which has placed a strain on the country’s balance of payments position.
As increasing the domestic food supply becomes an urgent priority, the
usual line of action emphasised has been to expand production. Another
vital step towards this end has often been overlooked- that of reducing
food losses through better post-harvest handling between harvest and the
point of consumption. Reducing post-harvest losses also has the added
benefit of developing a viable export trade in horticultural products through
the resultant surplus output. Although improved post-harvest handling is
important to maintain the high quality of fresh produce, due consideration
should be given to pre-harvest factors that have an important bearing on
the quality of produce which is eventually marketed. The market often
places importance on the physical attributes of a product to determine
quality. Standardisation is an important step towards increasing
the efficiency of distribution and ensuring that only high quality produce
reaches the market place. Apart from mandatory grading of carambola
for export, FAMA has embarked on enforcing mandatory Labelling, Grading
and Packaging Regulations for the local market.
Transfer of Agricultural Engineering
Innovations to Industry and Entrepreneurs
Md. Sharif Ahmad
Director General MARDI
PO Box 12301 GPO
50774 Kuala Lumpur
Abstract
This paper discusses general issues related to
transferring engineering innovations from public research organisations
to the agricultural and food industry.
To be of benefit to more than just the researchers
themselves research results and innovations need to be transferred to the
industry. For this, research should be relevant to the market. Research
projects should also be planned with technology transfer in mind. The latter
is suggested because traditionally the uptake of research results by industry
is slow, and that only a small percentage of research findings are eventually
commercially realised.
There are many ‘players’ involved in the research-to-user
transfer process. As such the existence of an effective communication channel
could be beneficial to the process. In view of this, it is proposed that
industry-wide networking forums be established on the application of engineering
innovations to the agricultural and food industry. Such networks could
range from internet news or chat groups to special interest associations.
Some experiences at MARDI on the transfer of
engineering innovations to the industry are outlined.
Remote Sensing and Geographic
Information System for Agriculture Advancement
N.N. Mahmood, K.F. Loh , Marimni. H and Saiful.
B
Malaysian Centre For Remote
Sensing (MACRES)
Fax : 2645646, Tel: 2645640
E.Mail : Director@
Macres.gov.my
Abstract
This paper highlights the potentials of three
revolutionary spatial information tools to further improve agricultural
management – microwave remote sensing, precision farming and interactive
multiple goal analysis. The potentials of these tools for rice
monitoring, precision farming and agricultural land use planning are being
verified respectively in Malaysia and some results are illustrated
in this paper.