IPOH: Young people must be convinced that agriculture is a viable career, says Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.
“I also urge that the younger generation be exposed to and trained in using smart agricultural technologies”, said the Perak Mentri Besar in his speech during the Pertubuhan Peladang Perak's 48th annual general meeting on Thursday (Oct 17).
Saarani said in many countries, technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) are being used to boost productivity, manage resources, and reduce reliance on manual labour.
He said that Perak's agriculture sector contributes about 14.2% to its gross domestic product (GDP). "Perak also continues to strengthen our position as Malaysia's fourth largest rice-producing state, contributing 7% to the country's self-sufficiency level with about 75,000 ha of land and 16,703 padi farmers," said Saarani.
