09/04/2026

THURSDAY | APR 9, 2026

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Food security blueprint to improve local farming

theSun winsaward for top English coverage

SERDANG: Technology-driven initiatives under Universiti Putra Malaysia’s food security blueprint are set to play a pivotal role in boosting domestic agricultural output and reducing the country’s reliance on imported food sources. Its vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said the blueprint is designed to encourage farmers to scale up cultivation activities not merely to meet local household demand, but also to strengthen the broader domestic supply chain. He added that the initiative is fully aligned with the government’s expectation that public universities take a more proactive role in fortifying national food security. “The issue of import dependency is not new. The university has long flagged this as a major national challenge, together with the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.“ Farhan said current geopolitical tensions have added fresh urgency to the matter, with disruptions extending beyond food supplies to critical agricultural inputs, such as fertilisers and other production essentials. “This situation demonstrates that countries with their own food production capacity are far better insulated from external risks,“ he said, noting that nations dependent on imports are increasingly vulnerable to global supply shocks. A central pillar of the university’s approach is the integration of technology into farming practices, which Farhan described as essential to lifting productivity, efficiency and quality at a faster pace. He pointed to one of the sector’s most pressing structural challenges, namely an ageing farmer demographic that has left a significant generational gap in agricultural manpower. To address this, the university is channelling the energy of young graduates into the farming ecosystem, with the hope that they would fundamentally reshape the profile of Malaysian farmers in the years ahead. Beyond its own graduates, the university is also opening its doors to farmers from outside the university ecosystem, offering structured training programmes in which participants can acquire new agricultural knowledge and skills applicable to real-world food production needs. – BY THE SUN TEAM

o Recognition by varsity acknowledges sustained reporting across news reports, commentary and features

Ű BY THE SUN TEAM newsdesk@thesundaily.com

SERDANG: theSun walked away with the Highest English-Language Coverage Award at Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Media Engagement and Promotion Ceremony at the university campus here on Tuesday evening. The recognition was awarded in acknowledgement of the newspaper’s sustained coverage of the university across print platforms, encompassing news reports, expert commentaries and knowledge-sharing features. Newdesk assistant news editor G. Surach accepted the award on the publication’s behalf. The ceremony also recognised several other media organisations. University vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah presented the awards and used the occasion to underscore the university’s view of the media as a strategic partner rather than a passive channel. “The impact would not be felt by the public without the cooperation of the media,” he said, thanking journalists and editors for consistently amplifying the university’s research, expertise and institutional milestones. Farhan said the university’s ambition is not to remain confined within academic walls but to function as a practical contributor to national development, adding that media partnerships are central to achieving that. “Expertise should not be confined to

Ahmad Farhan presenting the award to Surach. – PIC COURTESY OF UPM

aimed at cementing the university’s contribution to national sustainability and public wellbeing. The planetary health blueprint, which is expected to be launched in the near future, will span a broad range of interconnected areas, including food security, sustainable urban development, mobility, waste management and ecosystem preservation. On the academic front, Farhan highlighted that 29 Universiti Putra Malaysia subjects have been listed in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026, pointing to the institution’s consistency on the global stage. Among the standout performances, Veterinary Science retained its place at 38th in the world, a position that has kept it at the top of its field in Malaysia for five consecutive years and the best in Asia for three years running. Agriculture and Forestry similarly maintained its standing, ranking 64th globally while holding the top spot in Malaysia for 14 consecutive years and placing among Asia’s top 10.

academic publications alone, but must also be translated into solutions that deliver tangible benefits to the nation and its people,” he said, noting that the university hopes to cultivate more specialists willing to engage publicly, share perspectives and bring research into the national discourse. He described the media’s role as a critical bridge between academia and the broader public, expressing Universiti Putra Malaysia’s commitment to deepening those ties going forward. Farhan said the relationship between universities and media organisations has taken on greater importance in the current information landscape as content spreads rapidly across social media platforms, emphasising that the need for accurate, authoritative sources has never been more pressing. He said the university is advancing with its global agenda through two key strategic frameworks, the Planetary Health and Sustainability Blueprint and the Food Security Blueprint, both