Wastech Eyes Malaysia As Regional Hub For Advanced Fertiliser Technology

By Nurunnasihah Ahmad Rashid

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 (Bernama) -- Wastech Group Sdn Bhd is positioning Malaysia as a regional hub for advanced fertiliser technology through plans to establish a controlled-release fertiliser coating plant and expand its crop-specific blending capabilities.

Its executive director, Nicholas Hii said the initiative, undertaken through a strategic joint-venture with United States-based Pursell Agri-Tech, would bring premium fertiliser coating technology closer to growers in Malaysia and the wider Southeast Asian region.

He said the move comes as the agriculture industry faces increasing pressure from rising input costs, supply chain disruptions and the need to improve productivity with limited resources.

“We believe the current environment is accelerating a longer-term shift towards efficiency, technology adoption and supply resilience in Malaysian agriculture.

“Malaysia will continue to rely on certain imported fertiliser raw materials, but there is a strong case for building more local value-added capabilities,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama recently.

Hii said the planned Malaysia-based coating plant would not only support domestic demand but also strengthen the country’s role in the regional agricultural supply chain.

He said the initiative would be further supported by Wastech’s fertiliser blending facilities in Port Klang and a planned facility in Bintulu, Sarawak.

“These facilities will enable the company to develop customised fertiliser formulations tailored to specific crops, soil conditions and regional requirements.

“A Malaysia-based coating plant can help reduce reliance on imported finished specialty fertilisers, shorten supply chains, improve responsiveness to customer requirements, and create more customised solutions for different crops and soil conditions across Southeast Asia,” he said.

Hii noted that agriculture is increasingly moving towards integrated solutions that combine crop nutrition, irrigation, water management and agronomy services.

Efficiency improvements could no longer rely solely on fertiliser innovation, as water management and precision agriculture are becoming equally important in improving farm productivity and sustainability.

“We believe the future of agriculture will be driven by integrated solutions, not standalone products,” he said.

Founded in 1984, Wastech is an integrated agritech, specialty fertiliser and water engineering solutions provider.

Its products include controlled-release fertilisers under the Multigreen brand, micronutrients, bio-stimulants and precision agriculture solutions.

-- BERNAMA