KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 — Paddy farmers in in the country will soon receive support from artificial intelligence (AI) technology through the Rakan Tani Pintar AI chatbot, which serves as a digital agronomy expert to help them manage their daily rice field operations more efficiently.
According to Padiberas Nasional Berhad (Bernas) Farm Management Department head Mohd Zakri Zulkafli, this innovative platform can be accessed directly via WhatsApp application without the need to download a separate application. It provides farmers with daily guidance on fertiliser use, disease control, and scheduling of fieldwork activities.
“In fact, paddy farmers can ask questions in Malay, English, or any local dialect via text or voice messages and will receive accurate and immediate responses,” he told reporters here.
He explained that to activate Rakan Tani Pintar AI, farmers only need to provide basic information about their paddy fields — such as plot size, location, rice variety, and crop age. The system will then tailor its recommendations according to the specific conditions of each field.
In addition, Mohd Zakri said the system also takes into account weather conditions before critical farming activities are carried out.
“If the forecast indicates strong winds or heavy rain, the system will advise farmers to postpone spraying activities. This precaution helps prevent wastage of agricultural inputs, protects the environment, and ensures that weed, disease, and pest control measures are carried out more accurately and at the right time,” he said.
He added that Rakan Tani Pintar AI will first undergo a 10-week pilot test involving several groups of paddy farmers before its nationwide rollout at the end of this year. The initiative is expected to benefit about 115,000 registered paddy farmers across the country.
At the same time, Mohd Zakri emphasised that the technology is not intended to replace the vital role of field officers, but rather to serve as an advisor based on a collection of data and insights contributed by agronomists and Bernas field officers themselves.
“Rakan Tani Pintar AI has undergone rigorous user acceptance testing (UAT). If any information provided is inaccurate, feedback will be forwarded to the system developers for immediate improvement,” he said.
He added that if a response is found to be incorrect or inconsistent with actual field conditions, Bernas will provide feedback to the developers to rectify it, stressing that this step is crucial to ensure every piece of advice generated by the AI is accurate, practical, and verified by agricultural experts.
Mohd Zakri said he also supports the implementation and monitoring of Bernas SMART Large-Scale Paddy Field (SMART SBB) programme,, which aims to strengthen the country’s strategic food security efforts in line with the national target of achieving 80 per cent self-sufficiency level (SSL) for rice by 2030.
He added that with the integration of modern technologies such as drones, satellite imaging, and AI, the agricultural sector is becoming more professional, high-tech, and increasingly appealing to the younger generation to venture into.
According to Mohd Zakri, the development of the Rakan Tani Pintar AI platform is the result of collaboration between Bernas, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), the National AI Office (NAIO), and the Global AI Village (GAIV). The initiative aims to train and guide farmers, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital transformation of the agricultural sector. — Bernama
