There he was, deep in a settlement located 400km from Sibu and with a population of 1,400, mostly from the Kenyah Badeng ethnic group. Cooplay’s allotted time had ended, but seeing the community’s keen interest, he continued speaking, doing his best to answer as many questions as possible.
“It’s already lunchtime. Should I continue?” Cooplay asked and, almost in unison, the villagers replied: “Continue!”
Later, the engineer turned agropreneur told Bernama: “I know agriculture is very close to the hearts of the people here as it has been practised for generations, but I’m impressed by their willingness to learn new farming technologies.”
Cooplay, 58, was one of the speakers at the “Digital to Long Busang” programme organised earlier in the year by the Sarawak Multimedia Authority. The programme was aimed at empowering communities with digital knowledge and skills, and encouraging community participation in the digital economy.
As a pioneer in smart farming in Sarawak, Cooplay, who was born and raised in Saratok near Betong, is committed to sharing his knowledge on modern farming techniques.
This civil-engineering graduate worked with the oil and gas and construction sectors after receiving his degree from Universiti Malaya in 1994, but his true passion remained in agriculture, a field deeply rooted in his family for generations.
His involvement in agriculture only truly began in 2017, when he was selected by the state agriculture department as a pioneer participant in the Permanent Park for Food Production (TKPM) project in Rampangi, Kuching, to kickstart a smart-farming initiative.
During his training at TKPM – which focused on cultivating chillies, ginger and golden melons – he was introduced to new approaches in agricultural practices, including the use of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and smart-fertigation systems.
Today, Cooplay applies the technologies he learnt on a 21.3m-by-30.5m plot allocated to him within a greenhouse at TKPM, where he cultivates chillies and golden melons.
The smart-fertigation system he utilises involves rain shelters and fertiliser solutions based on specific formulas, as well as the integration of humidity and temperature controls with IoT technology.
Notably, he does not have to be present at TKPM full-time to oversee his cultivations as the greenhouse temperature, fertiliser usage, planting resource, and other aspects are monitored through an information control centre that he can access via his computer or smartphone.
Smart solutions, lucrative income
According to Cooplay, smart farming is a genuine economic opportunity for rural youth: through the use of rain-shelter systems and controlled technologies, young farmers can earn far more than the starting salaries of most conventional jobs – even exceeding RM6,000 a month.
For example, 1,000 chilli plants grown using smart-farming techniques can produce about two tonnes of chillies, which can be sold at market prices of RM10 to RM12 per kg.
“From this, farmers can earn more than RM20,000 in a single season (about three months), provided that pest and disease control is properly managed,” he said.
As for golden melons, a single green house with around 1,500 plants can yield up to 1.2 tonnes of fruit. At its market price of around RM15 per kg, one can generate a gross income of up to RM18,000 within the three-month harvest period.
“In the case of ginger, one plant house can produce up to 9,000 kg, and if sold at RM10 per kg, it can generate a gross return of up to RM90,000 a year,” Cooplay added.
Ultimately, Cooplay wants rural communities to turn to smart farming to improve their livelihoods.
“I am willing to teach anyone who’s interested, with the hope that more young farmers will see agriculture as a profitable career. The principle I hold is that the advancement of agriculture doesn’t rely on technology alone – it also depends on our genuine willingness to share knowledge with others.
“I was trained for free by the government, so believe that this knowledge should also be shared free of charge,” he concluded.