The southern Malaysian state of Johor is poised to shore up its food security measures through a state-of-the-art vertical farming project estimated to cost RM 38 million to ensure self-sufficiency and less dependence on other states and imports.

The project, initially taking up about 50,000 sq ft of land in Iskandar Puteri, is a collaboration between Archisen, which is a Singapore-based company, and FarmByte Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Johor Corporation.

This vertical farm, which will commence operation in April this year, is set to produce premium vegetables including salad greens, ice plant and mustard greens at an estimated annual output of around 306,000 kg.

This venture is part of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone agenda, and is seen by industry observers as a reinforcement of the state’s commitment in enhancing food security and promoting sustainable agriculture.

The project, which was started in August 2024, is expected to employ 15 staff members to begin with but there are plans on the drawing board for workforce expansion as the factory scales up its operations.

Seventy percent of the yield is targeted for the Singapore market and the rest for the domestic and export markets and it is envisaged that similar projects will be implemented in other districts of Johor in collaboration with Archisen.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE