USM’s community outreach in agriculture through SMART Community Programme, includes an innovative initiative centered on producing valuable agricultural products such as Stingless Bee Honey, Palm Syrup and Premium Black Pepper. This programme aims to equip local and national communities with the knowledge, skills, and tools required through sustainable agriculture training, agro-technology and smart farming.

Stingless Bee Honey (Madu Kelulut) Farming Mustafa Hive

The Mustafa Hive is a specially designed hive optimized for stingless bees, or kelulut, which are native to tropical regions and known for producing highly valued honey. This hive design focuses on creating an ideal environment for the bees, enabling better honey quality and quantity. The Mustafa Hive uses eco-friendly materials and structures that allow for natural airflow and temperature regulation, reducing stress on the bees and increasing their productivity.

Integrating technology with traditional bee farming, USM’s SMART Community Programme utilizes monitoring devices within Mustafa Hives to track bee activity, temperature, and humidity levels. This data helps farmers make informed decisions to maintain optimal hive conditions, ensuring sustainable and high-quality honey production. The programme also trains farmers on harvesting techniques that allow for minimal disruption to the hive, preserving the bees’ well-being and productivity.

Palm Syrup-Plant-Based Sweetener (Gula Apong)

Palm syrup (locally known as Gula Apong), is a natural, plant-based sweetener derived from nipa palms. USM trains communities in sustainable harvesting methods to ensure the nipa palms are not overexploited. This includes rotational harvesting, which allows palms to regenerate and continue producing sap. The programme also emphasizes organic techniques, avoiding chemical additives to ensure a pure, natural product.

The initiative introduces small-scale processing technology to help streamline the syrup extraction and bottling process, ensuring high-quality standards. This technology allows communities to scale production sustainably, reducing waste and improving yield efficiency.

Premium Black Pepper

USM educates farmers on sustainable black pepper cultivation practices, such as organic pest control, efficient water management, and crop rotation. These techniques help maintain soil health, minimize environmental impact, and enhance pepper yield quality. This programme focuses on empowering local farmers with the knowledge and tools needed to cultivate high-quality black pepper, an important spice crop with significant market value.

The SMART Community Programme by USM has positively impacted both local and national communities by enhancing food security, improving land management, and promoting environmentally conscious agricultural practices. By providing local farmers and urban growers alike with the tools and knowledge needed to manage land sustainably, USM’s initiative contributes significantly to Malaysia’s sustainability goals. Moreover, this programme exemplifies USM’s dedication to fostering resilient communities, empowering them to make meaningful contributions to sustainable agriculture in Malaysia and beyond.