Hong (fourth left) shakes hands with Khairuddin after the MoU signing ceremony. Hu is at sixth left.
SIBU: University College of Technology Sarawak (UCTS) signed memorandums of understanding (MoU) with Sosa Shennong Group, Taiwan and Jin Jhan Greenhouse Project Co, Ltd Taiwan yesterday.
UCTS was represented by vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Khairuddin Ab Hamid, while Sosa Shennong Group was represented by chairman Dr Simon Hong and Jin Jhan Greenhouse Project Co, Ltd was represented by chairman Hu Bing Hui.
Khairuddin said UCTS had gone to Taiwan to learn from its advanced agriculture sector.
“This collaboration is very important because Sibu has plenty of land and the state government would like to see Sibu becoming the centre for the agriculture industry in the state,” he said.
“In terms of logistics, the state government has arranged flights from Kuching to Singapore and also now we have direct flights from Sibu to Brunei. Thus with the availability of air transportation, agricultural products can now be exported so much faster.”
He pointed out that the Agriculture Department has appointed UCTS to conduct training on agriculture.
“This is very important because before we go into the high technology of agricultural farming, we need to train our farmers and our UCTS students and government officers about modern agriculture.
“As far as Sibu is concerned, the government has focused on three industry areas for future development in Sibu, namely on education, tourism and agriculture.”
He said UCTS plans to set up a Technology Park on campus in future.
“So, if any industry partners would like to have their operations, maybe incubator or some kind of pilot plant, we can have it to be set up here in UCTS. I look forward to this partnership and I am sure with the strong commitment from both parties we can make sure that all our plans on various activities that we have listed in the agreement, especially on research and development under agriculture and farming,” he added.
Founded in 2018, Sosa specialises in high-technology skills transfer to other countries on commercial agriculture such as satellite data analysis of farming areas, remote access/automation system greenhouses, and others.
Sosa promotes healthy living through precision agriculture and regenerative medical science.
In April, UCTS signed an agreement with Sosa subsidiary Sosa Shennong Pte Ltd to establish joint cooperation on activities or projects relating to the development of agriculture.
Jin Jhan Greenhouse Project Co Ltd was founded in 1998 and mainly produces and sells various types of flowers, fruits, and vegetables, insects, sprinkler irrigation system equipment, home roof shading, etc.
The objective of the MoU is to promote research and development collaborations between UCTS, Sosa Shennong Group, and Jin Jhan Greenhouse Project Co Ltd, by promoting joint research and development in orchid cultivation, and advanced technological facilities for agriculture as well as promoting joint training programmes in commercial farming of orchids, and commercialisation of advanced technological facilities for agriculture.