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Economic potential of rice precision farming in malaysia: the case study of Felcra Seberang Perak

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Abstract

Many attempts/efforts have been made to cope with the fluctuated production performance in rice production in Malaysia. There is a crucial need in technological advancement to tackle the issue of environmental variability, decreasing productivity and the rising cost in rice cultivation. The use of variable rate technology has increased rice yield through efficient resource allocation. Notwithstanding, an evaluation of the feasibility of this technology is required in terms of economic and intangible benefits. Therefore, this study attempted to determine the potential benefits that could come out of the use of precision agriculture technologies in rice cultivation. A precision farming technology package was developed by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute. It consists of two components, namely a variable rate seed application system and a variable rate fertilizer application system. The study estimated the monetary benefits gained from the use of these two technology components at Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority Seberang Perak. The study also compared the performance of the technology package against the conventional practice. The Cost–Benefit Analysis exercise has been implemented to show the benefits and implications comprised in the study. It was found that there is an additional net income per hectare in between Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) 1109 to MYR 1333 due to the reduction in the production cost if the precision farming technology packages were adopted. The advancement in two cultivation stages showed a positive impact monetarily for both small-scale and large-scale farmers in the study. However, many challenges are to be faced for the technologies implementation since the existing rice cultivation recommended practices throughout all stages even yet to be practiced and taken seriously.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) under the 11th Malaysia Plan development fund. The authors would like to thank all personnel that was involved in this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Socio Economy, Market Intelligence and Agribusiness Research Centre, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Persiaran MARDI-UPM, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Hairazi Rahim, Engku Elini Engku Ariff & Mohd Amirul Mukmin Abdul Wahab

  2. Engineering Research Centre, Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Persiaran MARDI-UPM, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

    Mohd Shahril Shah Mohamad Ghazali, Mohammad Aufa Mhd. Bookeri, Badril Hisham Abu Bakar & Mohd Syaifudin Abdul Rahman

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  1. Hairazi Rahim
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  2. Mohd Shahril Shah Mohamad Ghazali
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Rahim, H., Ghazali, M.S.S.M., Bookeri, M.A.M. et al. Economic potential of rice precision farming in malaysia: the case study of Felcra Seberang Perak. Precision Agric 23, 812–829 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-021-09862-3

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