By Nasuha Badrul Huzaini
SHAH ALAM, Oct 5 — Former Pitch@Selangor 2019 participating company Havva Agrotech Sdn Bhd has been appointed by the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation (PKPS) to build the first rooftop urban farming facility in Shah Alam.
The hydroponic and urban farming startup was awarded the contract to build a 3,000 square-foot facility at Wisma PKPS, with construction work set to commence immediately.
PKPS chief executive officer Dr Mohamad Khairul Mohamad Razi said they look forward to welcoming the first rooftop urban farming facility in Shah Alam, as the main driver of agricultural and food security initiatives in the state.
“This venture will showcase a new and modern urban farming method that will potentially increase productivity while maintaining a sustainable cultivation system.
“We are committed to growing a partnership ecosystem for technology collaboration such as this, as we believe that this is key to maximising value and enhancing the economic vitality of smart farming projects, especially in Selangor,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile Havva Agrotech chief executive officer Philip Loo expressed his gratitude to the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec) for their roles in the joint venture.
Philip said the rooftop farm is the last piece of puzzle in their Urban Farming BluePrint.
“We are confident that the success of this project will benefit many agropreneurs in our country soon,” he said.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by the Selangor state executive councillor for industry and trade Dato’ Teng Chang Khim.
On his part, Teng said he was glad that PKPS took a bold step by having the joint venture effort to explore a new area of agriculture.
“This is indeed a step towards innovation, in line with the state’s ambition to become a smart state,” Teng said.
Havva Agrotech was one of the startups under the Pitch@Selangor programme and the company will be joining the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on October 8 for Expo 2020 Dubai.
