KOTA KINABALU – AirAsia Farm, AirAsia Group’s B2B e-commerce platform, plans to set up cold chains in several Southeast Asian countries while positioning Sabah as its export hub and launchpad.
AirAsia Farm CEO Joanna Ibrahim said the low-cost carrier is looking to set up cold-chain stores in Indonesia and build a presence in Thailand and the Philippines.
Joanna said it is also looking into marketing in parts of north Asia, several cities in China and South Korea.
“On the supply side, we are engaging with farmers across Malaysia and Sabah.
“We plan to set up a business entity in Indonesia in two months, as well as build a presence in Thailand and the Philippines, where we plan to set up a cold chain,” she said during a breaking-of-fast programme here today.
Formed in November last year, AirAsia Farm, formerly known as Ourfarm, is a business-to-business and business-to-consumer platform aimed at aiding farmers in marketing their produce.
The export of the products currently uses AirAsia aircraft to fly the produce across Malaysia.
According to Joanna, one AirAsia Farm’s objectives is to eliminate middlemen, responsible for higher prices of agricultural produce in Sabah, in the export process.
It also aims to turn Sabah into a leading agricultural export hub in Asia as the state is strategically located.
Among others, AirAsia Farm also aims to market the country’s agricultural products to all 25 destinations AirAsia currently flies.
Present at the programme were Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, who lauded the company’s initiative, saying it has assisted the state in expanding the marketability of Sabah’s agricultural products. – The Vibes, May 3, 2021
