Introduction to Agricultural Industry ASA0104 Topic 1

Vocabulary and key concepts regarding the importance, sectors, technologies, and agencies of the agricultural industry with a focus on the Malaysian context.

Ager

The Latin root word meaning 'Field' from which 'Agri' is derived.

Cultura

The Latin root word meaning 'Cultivation' or 'tillage of the soil' from which 'Culture' is derived.

Agriculture (Lewis, R. A. definition)

The science or art of cultivation of the soil or the culture of plants or animals in the water systems and associated activities required to produce, harvest and market useful crops or raise animal for profit.

National Agro-Food Policy 2021-2030 (DAN 2.0 / NAP 2.0)

A policy enacted to drive economic growth, improve well-being, and prioritize food security and nutrition in Malaysia.

Food Security

Ensuring the availability of food supplies so that all people always have access to sufficient and nutritious food.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

An economic measure to which the Agrofood sector contributes; its value-added contribution from agriculture in Malaysia has recently shrunk as the sector transitions to other activities.

Self-Sufficient Level (SSL)

A measure of a country's ability to meet its own food needs; poultry meat and eggs remained above $100.00\%$ SSL from 2010 to 2020.

Low Technology

Agricultural tools that replace or support mechanical functionalities of humans, such as tractors and ploughs, but lack flexibility and electronics.

High Technology

Agricultural tools that support or replace human capabilities using software-based Artificial Intelligence, sensors, and robotics, such as autonomous tractors.

Subsistence Farming

The production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer and their family, mostly found in less developed countries.

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

A highly labor-intensive form of agriculture practiced in areas with high population densities and limited land use, such as East and Southeast Asia.

Shifting Cultivation

A farming method where farmers move to new locations every few years, often involving slash-and-burn techniques to clear land.

Commercialised Farming

A type of farming whose primary objective is to make a profit by producing food for sale in the global marketplace (agribusiness).

Monoculture

A practice in commercial farming involving the cultivation of a single crop or a combination of very few crops.

Industrial Crops

Also known as plantation crops; examples include oil palm, rubber trees, cocoa, and coconut.

Horticultural Crops

Crops categorized as fruits, vegetables, flowers, ornamentals, and turf grass.

Mono-gastric

Domesticated animals with a digestive system consisting of one stomach compartment, such as swine and horses.

Ruminants

Animals with a four-compartmented stomach (rumen, omasum, abomasum, and reticulum) that efficiently convert forage into meat, such as cattle and goats.

Poultry

Domesticated birds that have feathers and lay eggs, such as chickens, ducks, and quails.

Aquaculture

A subsector of the fisheries industry focused on the farming of food fish.

MARDI

The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute.

FAMA

The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority.

MAFS

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

RISDA

The Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority.

Ethanol

A type of fuel derived from corn, which serves as a foundational agricultural raw material.

Resins

Plant products used in industrial applications such as adhesives, coatings, and paints for construction.