Dr Rundi and others were briefed during a visit to the Institute of Agricultural Machinery (IAM) in Saitama, Japan yesterday.
JAPAN: Japan’s experience provides valuable guidance to Sarawak in continuing to invest in research and development to build a resilient agricultural sector.
Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development (M-FICORD) Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said Sarawak’s journey towards modern agriculture must be based on knowledge, technology and discipline.
“What we have learned here (Japan) reinforces the importance of investing not only in machinery but also in research and development of human capital,” he said during a technical visit to the Institute of Agricultural Machinery (IAM) under the National Agricultural and Food Research Organisation (NARO) in Saitama, Japan yesterday.
Dr Rundi said Japan’s experience provides valuable guidance to Sarawak in implementing the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 in strengthening food security and productivity through the use of data-driven technology.
He said Japan showed how precision, data and safety are the drivers of agricultural transformation, not just about machines, but how to build an ecosystem that unites technology, people and sustainability.
Meanwhile, the delegation also toured the IAM showroom which featured various agricultural machinery resulting from IAM research that has been commercialized by the Japanese private sector.
The visit reflected Sarawak's commitment to building a technology-based and forward-looking agricultural economy that is in line with global sustainability goals.
Dr Rundi and the delegation also visited the IAM museum which showcased the history of the development of Japanese agricultural mechanization since the 1950s to the present.
The visit provided important exposure to Japan's approach to agricultural automation which combines research, engineering and international safety standards in a comprehensive framework to support the country's transition towards sustainable and high-precision agriculture.
The five main areas of IAM research that are the backbone of Japan's progress in agricultural machinery and safety innovation are Smart Agricultural Machinery, Automated Agricultural Systems, System Safety Engineering, Collaborative Mechanization Research and Safety Evaluation and Standardization.
Key areas of research include the development of small-scale electric farm robots, digital sensing systems for soil and crop analysis, and the implementation of global safety standards such as ISO 17025 and ROPS (Rollover Protective Structure).
MIA also shared Japan's progress in achieving accident-free and carbon-neutral agriculture through the use of automation and high-precision data management.
Another briefing was also given on the broader research framework under the `Society 5.0' concept that integrates science, data and human well-being.
The framework covers the fields of Agri-Food Business, Smart Production Systems, Agri-Bio Systems and Robust Agricultural Systems aimed at strengthening food safety, increasing industry competitiveness and preserving environmental sustainability through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology and robotics.
The visit was also attended by Deputy Minister of M-FICORD Datuk Martin Ben and Director of the Sarawak Department of Agriculture Dominic Chunggat.
