DAGANG Net, the information technology unit of UEM Group, and two other firms have proposed to sell to the Government an online system called eAgri, which could track the market demand and supply for agriculture products.
“A preliminary proposal has been given to the ministry and we are awaiting further discussions regarding the (setting up of the) system,” Dagang Net chief executive officer Saifol Shamlan said in a phone interview with Business Times.
Dagang Net would be working with Marditech Corp and AKIS Systems Sdn Bhd to propose the system for the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry.
The system has been conceptualised to match the demand and supply of agriculture products through a network of information.
The main delivery mechanism for the system and network would be the Internet.
The proposed network aims to connect the farming community, trading community, selected government agencies, logistics and forwarding companies as well as banking institutions.
This would help the agriculture industry to be more market-driven.
The system is projected to be able to create an electronic market place that will be open to big retailers. This will in turn, help fuel demand for agricultural products produced in Malaysia .
Information would be gathered in stages.
“Under eAgri the whole chain goes all the way upstream to the farms,” Saifol said.
“ePermit is only the cornerstone for eAgri. Ultimately we want to have an e-market place based on demand in the market place,” he said.
“We want to connect the agriculture sector from upstream, downstream and across the border,” Saifol said.
“The proposed system is in line with Khazanah Nasional Bhd's thrust to modernise the agriculture industry,” Saifol said.
