@ green | May-June. 2026

TECHNOLOGY FORWARD: Picture taken during the National Agricultural and Food Engineering Convention 2026.

� Artificial intelligence, drones, IoT and data-driven systems are rapidly transforming agriculture, from Malaysia’ s palm oil plantations to Laos’ rice fields.

From AI-powered classroom learning and drone-assisted palm oil plantations to smart rice irrigation systems in Laos, digital transformation is steadily redefining how food is produced, managed and marketed across the region.

Malaysia, in particular, is intensifying efforts to position agriculture within its broader artificial intelligence( AI) and digital economy ambitions, while neighbouring countries are also embracing technology-driven farming systems aimed at improving resilience and productivity.

AI ENTERS THE FARM

Malaysia’ s ambition to become an AI-driven nation by 2030 recently received a boost through a strategic collaboration involving MARDICORP Sdn Bhd, Koperasi Permodalan Sahabat Terengganu Berhad, Showme Kidz International Sdn Bhd and Ember AI Sdn Bhd.

The partnership is focused on

� Governments, research agencies and private-sector players are increasingly viewing digital agriculture as essential for food security, sustainability and workforce development.

embedding generative AI into agriculture, Technical and Vocational Education and Training( TVET), agropreneurship and classroom learning systems.

Under the collaboration, Ember AI will work with MARDICORP and KOSAHABAT to promote generative AI adoption within agri-food industries, particularly in smart farming, entrepreneurship development and digital agriculture training.

A parallel initiative between Showme School and Ember AI aims to integrate AI-driven personalised learning into educational environments, creating adaptive learning ecosystems for students and future agropreneurs.

Ember AI chief executive officer Billy Ng said scalable and adaptive digital learning systems would become increasingly important in preparing future communities and industries.

“ Our goal is to create learning ecosystems that are scalable, adaptive and capable of supporting students, young agropreneurs, and communities in a rapidly evolving digital landscape,” he said.

The company’ s AI platform is designed to support up to five million users nationwide through personalised, data-driven learning experiences.

� The convergence of AI-powered education, precision farming and regenerative agriculture is creating a new generation of techenabled agropreneurs and future-ready farming ecosystems.

SMARTER PALM OIL

Beyond education and workforce development, AI and automation are increasingly becoming central to Malaysia’ s plantation sector.

At the National Agricultural and Food Engineering Convention 2026 in Seremban, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board( MPOB) revealed that it has commercialised more than 200 technologies across Malaysia’ s palm oil and agri-commodity sectors.

The technologies span mechanisation, biotechnology, crop protection systems, digital plantation management and downstream palm oil innovations.

MPOB director-general Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir said many of these technologies are already being adopted by plantation companies to improve efficiency and productivity.

Among the innovations highlighted was a drone- and DNA-based system capable of assessing fruit ripeness and monitoring oil palm tree conditions in the field.

MPOB’ s current research efforts are increasingly centred on integrating Internet of Things( IoT) systems, drones and AI into plantation management, helping companies optimise yields, improve production quality and enhance supply chain transparency.

The digital push aligns with Malaysia’ s National Agrofood Policy 2.0( NAP 2.0), which identifies technological advancement as a key pillar in strengthening food security, sustainability and long-term agricultural resilience.

REGENERATIVE RICE FARMING

The transition towards smarter agriculture is not limited to Malaysia.

In Laos, a sustainable rice farming initiative led by Lao Brewery Co., Ltd. has demonstrated how digital and regenerative farming practices can work together to improve sustainability and farmer livelihoods.

The programme uses Alternate Wetting and Drying( AWD) technology, a water management system that alternates flooded and dry conditions in rice fields rather than relying on continuous flooding.

According to project officials, the technology can reduce water consumption by up to 30 per cent while cutting greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 50 per cent.

Over six years, the programme expanded from just 16 hectares involving 14 farming families to more than 600 hectares involving over 400 farming families across multiple districts.

Farmers participating in the initiative have reportedly benefited from lower production costs, improved rice quality, reduced water use and more stable incomes.

The project reflects a growing regional emphasis on combining sustainability with digital and precision farming approaches to build more resilient food systems.

THE GLOBAL AI RACE

The shift towards AI-driven agriculture is also attracting major global technology and philanthropic investments.

Recently, Anthropic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a four-year US $ 200 million partnership to develop AI tools for agriculture, healthcare and education in low-income countries.

The initiative will support the development of AI tools equipped with crop-specific datasets and agricultural benchmarks to assist smallholder farmers, particularly in regions where commercial AI investment remains limited.

The programme also includes grant funding, technical support, and open-access datasets to accelerate the responsible adoption of AI technologies.

Taken together, the developments unfolding across Malaysia, Laos and the wider global technology ecosystem point towards a future where agriculture is increasingly shaped not just by land, labour and weather— but by algorithms, automation and intelligent systems.

For Southeast Asia agriculture sector, the digital revolution is no longer a distant concept. It is already taking root in the fields. – @ green