Taiwanese Young Farmers Promote Agri-Food Education in Malaysia, Featuring "Three Black Treasures of the Field"

(Central News Agency, Kuala Lumpur, July 8) Malaysia is actively enhancing food security and developing smart agriculture. A delegation of Taiwanese young farmers has also delved into Malaysian agricultural towns to share agri-food education, particularly promoting the "Three Black Treasures of the Field" organic farming method to reduce the use of chemical pesticides, improve crop yields, and foster agricultural technology exchange.

The delegation, composed of young farmers from various regions in Taiwan, recently visited Klang, Sekinchan in Selangor, and Bentong in Pahang. They went into Chinese primary schools, farmer associations, and baking academies to introduce Taiwan's agri-food education, organic rice cultivation, and rice flour applications, and to exchange agricultural technology and industry development experiences with local farmers.

Lu Chuan-hsin, a Taiwanese young farmer who participated in the exchange in Malaysia, told CNA today that Taiwan has integrated field ecological observation and biological control concepts, including the rice stink bug, the egg parasitoid wasp, and Beauveria bassiana, into the "Three Black Treasures of the Field" in recent years. Among these, the rice stink bug is a common pest in organic rice fields, the egg parasitoid wasp parasitizes the eggs of the rice stink bug, and Beauveria bassiana can infect pests and inhibit their reproduction. This approach reduces the use of chemical pesticides, promotes eco-friendly farming, and agri-food education.

In addition to agri-food education, the delegation also introduced smart agriculture technologies to Malaysia. Lu pointed out that Taiwan's agriculture widely uses plant protection drones for fertilization, pest and disease control, and field management, as well as seeders and rice transplanters to improve operational efficiency. In contrast, some rice-growing areas in Malaysia still use direct seeding methods. The continued promotion of smart agriculture equipment like drones is expected to further enhance rice production efficiency.

Fan Chih-hsi, a recipient of Taiwan's 7th Top 100 Young Farmers award who also participated in the exchange in Malaysia, said in an interview that Malaysia's rice production has natural advantages such as contiguous land and fewer typhoons. However, there is still room for development in pesticide management, digital field monitoring technology, the popularization of agricultural knowledge, and farmer education and guidance. Taiwan and Malaysia can continue to deepen cooperation in smart agriculture and talent cultivation in the future.

Furthermore, Taiwanese young farmers also engaged with local Malaysian baking academies to share their experiences in applying rice flour. They discussed how to mill white rice into rice flour and utilize it in the research and development of baked goods, thereby increasing the added value of rice and expanding its diverse applications.

Fan Chih-hsi believes that this exchange not only shared Taiwan's agricultural technology but also aimed to bring the agri-food education concepts promoted in recent years to Malaysia, enabling local farmers and students to understand the source of food, the importance of organic agriculture and eco-friendly farming, and to enhance their awareness of food and environmental sustainability.

In recent years, Malaysia has actively promoted food security policies. The 13th Malaysia Plan prioritizes increasing food production capacity, developing smart agriculture, and encouraging youth to engage in agriculture. Currently, Malaysia's rice self-sufficiency rate is about 60%, with the remainder relying on imports.

The Anwar Ibrahim government has also recently proposed a "Two-Year Five-Season Rice Plan" to increase rice production and reduce reliance on imported rice. Against this backdrop, the continued promotion of smart agriculture, agri-food education, and agricultural talent exchange between Taiwan and Malaysia also presents opportunities for future cooperation. (Edited by Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150708

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