MDEC Appointed National Strategic Digital Tech Validator And Implementing Agency For Digital AgTech Programme
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) has been appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (KPKM) as the National Strategic Digital Technology Validator and implementing agency for the Digital AgTech Programme to drive digital transformation in the agri-food sector.
MDEC said the appointment, announced at the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA) 2026 on Aug 30, will expand its mandate to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies across the agri-food sector. “The initiative aims to increase productivity, optimise resource utilisation, strengthen food security and enhance the industry’s competitiveness,” the agency said in a statement.
MDEC chief executive Officer Anuar Fariz Fadzil said food security and digital economy development are two closely interrelated strategic national agendas. He said the appointment would help farmers and agro-entrepreneurs improve efficiency, expand market opportunities and strengthen the resilience of the country’s food supply. “Through i-AGRI, BidFresh and Agrovator@Sekolah, we are building an ecosystem that connects data, innovation, talent development and market access,” he added.
To date, more than 800 Digital AgTech systems, including over 100 AI-based systems, have been deployed nationwide by local technology companies with Malaysia Digital (MD) status.
The implementation covers the crop, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture subsectors, while more than 30,000 participants have received training and exposure to Digital AgTech technologies.
MDEC said the event also saw the launch of three strategic initiatives, namely the Digital Agriculture Technology Adoption Platform (i-AGRI), the BidFresh Platform and the Agrovator@Sekolah programme. The three initiatives complement one another in strengthening the country’s Digital AgTech ecosystem through data-driven planning, expanded market access and future talent development.
The i-AGRI platform is an integrated platform that consolidates information on technology adoption across the crop, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture subsectors through statistics, maps, charts and interactive visualisations.
BidFresh, meanwhile, directly connects agro-entrepreneurs with buyers through a digital platform that facilitates market matching, information sharing and transactions.
Agrovator@Sekolah is a national talent development initiative that exposes primary and secondary school students to AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), automation and smart farming.
-- BERNAMA