RETURNING TO HIS ROOTS

Dato Dr Ahmad Faris Abdul Halim, shares his pivoting journey after 3 decades in ICT when he decides to throw in the towel and returns to his roots in agriculture. BusinessToday gets an exclusive with this rather dynamic person who is just as passionate about his farms and as to why more needs to be done to further elevate the agriculture field in the country

- POOVENRAJ KANAGARAJ

Having emersed in technology and corporate dealings all this adult life, Dato Dr Ahmad Faris who is the Chairman of Al-Hilmi Group has made a serendipitous decision to explore the wonderful world of agriculture.

The move was not by chance or opportunistic, according to him, he has always been exposed to farming during his childhood days, when his father would bring him along to toil on the land the family owned. However, he never took it up seriously or as a career, the ambition was in the corporate world and he pursuit it. After successfully reaching the top of the ladder in his pinstripe suits and polished leather shoes, Dr Faris got the calling and is returning to his passion, subsequently trading the fine clothes for yellow boots and dirt.

“I grew up in kampung so I have always been involved in agriculture and it’s not something new to me. It was however only a hobby until recently,” he confides to BusinessToday.

But coming from the corporate field, the brash CEO was not just about to pull weeds or water his chili plants, after 3 years of conducting research and understanding the industry, Dr Faris saw gaps and issues in the agriculture industry that could be addressed through technology particularly the issue of shortage in food supply. At the same time, both he and his team saw the need to contribute to the demand for vegetable and fruits both in the local and international scene.

HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED?

“There have been big changes over the years in the agriculture industry, while most people during my childhood only did it on smaller scales to make ends meet, now agriculture is being done on a bigger scale.

“There is increasing demand for instance for durian from China, Middle East and South Korea. So bigger scale operations are needed to keep up with the demand,” he says.