Hungarian agri-informatics company conquers Malaysia

A special agricultural project has begun in Southeast Asia, where AgroVIR is also contributing to the establishment of a modern economy in one of the world’s largest palm oil producing countries. The aim of the large-scale investment is to build a modern agricultural plant serving 20,000 dairy cattle on the site of a former oil palm plantation in the area of the city of Gemas. The project has been based on state-of-the-art solutions from the very beginning, which is why AgroVIR was introduced in the first phase. This not only represents a milestone in expanding the software’s international presence, but also raises the global recognition of Hungarian agricultural digitalization to a new level.

A completely different world – agriculture in Malaysia

The agricultural structure of Malaysia differs significantly from that of Europe. The vast majority of agricultural land is covered by oil palm plantations – the country is one of the world’s largest palm oil exporters. The soil conditions are challenging: the region is characterized by acidic pH, shallow topsoil and a highly hilly terrain. The project site was also one of these – formerly cultivated industrially – oil palm plantations, where modern arable production is now beginning, with significant soil improvement works.

Greenfield agricultural investment with global ambitions

The goal: to create one of the most modern dairy farms in Southeast Asia, with 20,000 dairy cattle, arable feed production to serve the herd, and a closed-loop, sustainable operation. The project will be implemented in four phases, with full capacity expected to be reached by the fall of 2026. The first phase has already been completed: arable production is currently taking place on 400 hectares, but the goal is to reach an area of 1,500 hectares. The complexity of the development is further increased by the fact that the plant also includes a biogas plant, which generates electricity from the resulting manure and organic waste, and the remaining compost is distributed for soil improvement. The focus of crop production is currently on corn, which forms the basis of mass feed. The ownership group is 100% Malaysian, but several recognized international experts are involved in the implementation of the project.

Strategic technology choice – this is how the decision was made for AgroVIR

The farm’s technology partners were consciously selected on a global level – the goal was to provide the most modern, coordinated solutions to support the development of the complex farm. One of the main suppliers of the machinery fleet, CNH – one of the world’s largest agricultural machinery manufacturers – recommended the introduction of the AgroVIR farm management system, highlighting its advantages in the integration between machines and data management. The investors had a clear expectation: a stable, comprehensive and flexible digital system was needed that could track the operation of the rapidly developing, multi-stakeholder farm. A modern farm management software naturally found its place among the most modern technologies – the choice fell on AgroVIR.

Training, introduction, system startup

Negotiations began in February, where the professional foundation of the cooperation was laid. During a one-week mission in June, two of our colleagues held personal training sessions on site in Malaysia. The trainings were organized by field of expertise with a team of 15 people: agronomy, warehousing, machine operation, finance and administration were also given separate groups. As part of the introduction, the basic data was uploaded, the polygons of the maps and tables were completed, the growing periods were created and active use began. In the near future, AgroVIR will be connected to the company’s SAP-based accounting system, so that the administrative and financial processes will also be fully integrated. The openness and professionalism of the local partners is remarkable. The AgroVIR team was welcomed by an inclusive, dedicated, long-term-thinking environment, which seizes all means to create an international-standard agricultural enterprise. This cooperation is further proof that AgroVIR is able to adapt to any agricultural environment – be it arable crop production, animal husbandry or complex, international agricultural investments. Publisher: AGROVIR Business Consulting Ltd.

MTI