
JP Global Engineering drives smart farming innovation with JPloT system
The core of JPloT is Internet of Things (IoT) sensors that capture live data on critical variables, such as soil moisture, temperature, humidity, pH levels, and light intensity.
This data is transmitted to a secure cloud platform, where it is analysed to generate actionable insights for irrigation, nutrient delivery and crop scheduling, helping farmers optimise conditions and maximise yields.
Designed for ease of use across diverse farm settings, JPloT features a user-friendly dashboard and provides secure, lifetime cloud storage. Farmers can access historical data, monitor anomalies and make informed, data-driven decisions throughout the crop cycle.
JP Global Engineering director Ts. Jegan Perumal said JPloT is enhancing yield consistency and crop quality by maintaining optimal growing conditions and reducing losses caused by environmental stress or mismanagement.
'JPloT is helping farmers improve yield consistency and crop quality by maintaining optimal conditions and reducing risks of loss due to environmental stress or mismanagement. This directly contributes to Malaysia's national goals of producing safe, nutritious and accessible food,' he said in a statement.
In addition to boosting productivity, JPloT also addresses labour shortages by automating routine tasks, ensuring crop stability despite unpredictable weather and reducing food waste by detecting overwatering and disease.
The system has attracted international interest, notably through a pilot project with Japan's Ichigo Lab, a collaboration aimed at demonstrating JPloT's capabilities in high-tech farming environments while offering a more cost-effective, feature-rich alternative to current Japanese solutions.
A key motivation behind the collaboration is the difference in agricultural cycles. For instance, while strawberry farming in Japan is typically limited to one harvest per year, Malaysia's tropical climate allows for up to four.
This presents an opportunity for Ichigo Lab to expand into Malaysia and significantly increase productivity by leveraging JPloT's real-time insights and adaptive capabilities.
JP Global is also supporting the expansion with guidance on land acquisition, regulatory navigation and engagement with relevant government stakeholders.
Although full deployment has yet to commence, the company is working to meet the client's budget and customise the JPloT system to suit Japanese infrastructure, language preferences and farming practices.
'We remain committed to being a growth partner, providing end-to-end support to ensure a smooth transition and help Ichigo Lab fully leverage Malaysia's year-round growing conditions,' said Ts. Jegan.
Looking ahead, JP Global anticipates that IoT will play a central role in agriculture over the next five to ten years, with artificial intelligence further enhancing forecasting accuracy, decision-making and resource efficiency.
However, Ts. Jegan emphasised that technology alone is not enough to drive widespread adoption of smart farming in Malaysia.
'Malaysia's climate is a gift, but to fully unlock its potential, we must pair it with future-ready, localised solutions,' he said, adding that the future of farming depends on how well we balance data, nature and human insight to build systems that are productive, resilient and sustainable.
JP Global was among several Malaysian companies that participated in Expo 2025 Osaka during the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security's showcase week, where Malaysia highlighted its commitment to smart agriculture and inclusive growth.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BusinessToday
an hour ago
- BusinessToday
Nikkei Hits Fresh Record As Weaker Yen Lifts Automakers
Japan's Nikkei share average extended gains on Monday, climbing 0.7% to a record 43,683.56 at 0137 GMT, while the broader Topix also touched a fresh peak, rising 0.58% to 3,125.6. Automakers led the rally as the yen slipped 0.2% against the US dollar, boosting exporters' earnings when repatriated. Toyota Motor gained 1.58% and Honda Motor rose 1.22%. Fast Retailing also advanced 1.2%, giving the biggest lift to the Nikkei. 'Domestic equities kept the momentum from last week. There was an expectation that foreign investors would continue buying Japanese stocks,' said Seiichi Suzuki, chief equity market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Laboratory. Japanese shares have rallied this month on renewed optimism for the corporate outlook, even as the impact of US tariffs becomes clearer. The surge also tracked Wall Street, where the Dow Jones hit an intraday record on Friday, supported by UnitedHealth's jump after Berkshire Hathaway raised its stake. Bank stocks lagged in Tokyo, with the banking index down 1.45%, the steepest drop among industry sub-indexes. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group slipped 1.96% while Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group shed 1.78%. Banks had surged on Friday after robust economic data boosted expectations of a Bank of Japan rate hike. Chip-related heavyweights capped gains, with Tokyo Electron losing 1.3% and Advantest edging down 0.09%. Reuters


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
A factory town in crisis shows Japan's fading manufacturing era
OPPAMA, Japan: Nissan Motor Co.'s Oppama factory, opened in 1961, was once a crown jewel in Japan's postwar rise to manufacturing powerhouse. Today, it represents the dangers of being caught flatfooted in a rapidly changing industry. The factory, south of Tokyo, is set to shut by March 2028 - part of Nissan's wide-ranging restructuring after a slump in sales sparked its worst financial crisis since Renault SA rescued the carmaker from near bankruptcy a quarter century ago. Once synonymous with cutting-edge technology, Japan's legacy brands are struggling to adapt to changing consumer tastes, ceding market share to the likes of Tesla Inc. and a wave of Chinese upstarts led by BYD Co. That means whatever happens to Oppama - and the thousands of local residents that depend on it - will serve as a warning for Japanese manufacturers as intensifying competition sparks a painful period of consolidation that could pave the way for much-needed rejuvenation. It's also a new era for the Japanese economy, as a wave of bankruptcies among small and medium-sized firms across industries from transportation to technology challenges the idea of 'shushin koyo' - a job for life. Like any factory town, Nissan's ties run deep. It directly employs almost ten per cent of Oppama's 29,700 residents. Field trips to the plant are a rite of passage for local school children and the company revived its baseball team this year after a 16-year hiatus, though they lost in the semifinals to ultimate tournament winner Toshiba Corp. A victory would have provided a welcome distraction, said Yuji Fujita, the third-generation owner of a fresh produce store located in the shopping avenue that runs between Oppama's train station and the factory. He drew parallels with the shutdown of Nissan's Zama plant in 1995, which marked the first factory closure in Japan by any carmaker in the postwar period. "This is the worst case scenario,' said Fujita, whose family has owned around two dozen Nissan cars over the years. "It's impossible to know what will happen to us now.' His sentiment is echoed around town. It's not clear yet how many of the 2,400 people employed at Oppama will be transferred to a Nissan factory in Kyushu in the southwest, or when they will start their new roles. "The priority now is to figure out what options will be offered to existing employees,' said Keiichi Asakura, general secretary of the Nissan Motor Worker's Union. There's also uncertainty about what happens to the site that spans 1.7 million square metres - about half the size of New York's Central Park. Speculation has swirled among residents that it could be turned into a vacation resort or a theme park, or even used by the private defence industry. Nikkei reported in early July, before the announcement that Oppama will close, that Nissan is in talks with Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. - better known as Foxconn - over the site. Nissan Chief Executive Officer Ivan Espinosa has said he isn't considering contract manufacturing. And plans are complicated by the need to rewrite the town's civil laws to reflect a change in utilisation. Katsuaki Kamiji, the mayor of Yokosuka, the city where Oppama is located, said he spoke to Espinosa late last month to advocate for a future that provides ongoing employment for residents. "We urged him to take into account, as much as possible, the creation of jobs, the region's revitalisation and the growth of Yokosuka when weighing how the property will be utilised,' he said in an emailed statement. While the announcement that Oppama will close was a surprise for some, residents have known for some time that Nissan's fortunes were fading, said Nakao Habutsu, superintendent of the Oppama Administration Centre. In 2007, when it celebrated having produced 15 million vehicles, Oppama still made seven different models. In 2010, the town was given a fresh boost by the Leaf - the world's first mass-market all-electric car that was set to transform the automaker into a global leader in innovation. But Leaf production started to shift to the US and the UK in 2013. Now, Oppama makes just two models: the Note subcompact hatchback and the Aura, both for the domestic market. Tesla's offerings have usurped the Leaf as the best-selling EV in history. But it's the Chinese that have emerged as an industry superpower, offering sleek high-tech models at a variety of price points. Nissan's limited all-electric lineup is spearheaded by the Sakura, the Ariya and the Leaf, which is getting a makeover in the hope of lifting sales. The lack of blockbusters is core to Nissan's troubles, though Espinosa has said that once Oppama is shut there are no plans for further consolidation in Japan. All told, Nissan wants to reduce annual output to 2.5 million units from 3.5 million by consolidating production from 17 factories to 10, and will cut 20,000 jobs. The carmaker is likely to see ¥160 billion (US$1.1 billion) in impairments and restructuring charges this financial year, Chief Financial Officer Jeremie Papin said during an event hosted by Sanford C Bernstein. Espinosa has been firm that Nissan doesn't need a saviour to get it back on track. Talks to combine with Honda Motor Co. fell apart earlier this year, but its downturn attracted interest from Foxconn and KKR & Co. So far, it's the sprawling network of small, specialty-parts suppliers that have borne the brunt of the auto sector's challenges. There were 32 bankruptcies during the fiscal year that ended in March, the most in a decade, according to Teikoku Databank. There's likely more consolidation to come as companies that specialise in EVs, autonomous driving and high-efficiency engines thrive, while others look to attain that expertise through mergers and acquisitions, according to Satoru Shinozuka, an analyst at Teikoku Databank. "If they don't have the technology or the capital, it'll be difficult,' said Shinozuka. It's "survival of the fittest,' he said. - Bloomberg


The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Ringgit opens firmer against US dollar amid rate cut expectations
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit opened slightly firmer against the US dollar on Monday as market sentiment leaned towards a potential US interest rate cut. At 8 am, the local currency traded at 4.2050/2260, up from Friday's close of 4.2085/2155. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid noted growing expectations for a September rate reduction by the US Federal Reserve. 'Given that consumer spending accounted for more than two-thirds of the US economy, the case for a September rate cut is gaining more steam,' he told Bernama. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index dropped to 58.6 points in August from 61.7 points the previous month. Other indicators, including the Current Condition Index and the Expectation Index, also declined in August. 'This suggests that consumer spending will likely weaken, while higher prices due to increased import tariffs may prevent them from splurging,' he added. The ringgit could test the psychological RM4.20 level against the US dollar today. A perceived delay in Fed rate cuts has weakened the US dollar in the near term, with the US Dollar Index hovering at 97.850 points. Against major currencies, the ringgit strengthened except against the euro, where it depreciated to 4.9224/9470 from Friday's 4.9185/9267. It rose against the Japanese yen to 2.8557/8701 from 2.8653/8702 and gained versus the British pound to 5.6999/7283 from 5.7050/7145. The local currency also performed well against regional peers. It appreciated against the Singapore dollar to 3.2777/2944 from 3.2820/2877 and strengthened versus the Thai baht to 12.9361/13.0091 from 12.9760/13.0032. The ringgit improved against the Philippine peso to 7.36/7.41 from 7.37/7.39 and remained stable against the Indonesian rupiah at 260.0/261.4. - Bernama