AI Enters the Rice Fields: A New Way to Boost Indonesian Farmers' Yields

JAKARTA — Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, Nezar Patria, emphasised that artificial intelligence (AI) technology plays a strategic role in promoting sustainable agricultural development in Indonesia.

“The adoption of the latest technology, in this case artificial intelligence, is very critical and strategic to support agricultural growth in Indonesia and maintain its sustainability,” Nezar stated in a confirmed press release on Sunday.

According to him, the utilisation of AI can assist various aspects of agriculture, from seed planting management, pest and crop disease detection, to land productivity optimisation.

Additionally, AI is considered capable of driving efficiency through crop care automation, improvements in agricultural produce distribution systems, and predictive analysis related to national food availability.

Nezar emphasised that the success of AI implementation heavily depends on the strength of telecommunications infrastructure.

“AI works with data. And data is transferred through telecommunications networks. Therefore, telecommunications infrastructure is a fundamental prerequisite,” he said.

To that end, the government is committed to accelerating the development of telecommunications networks to the outermost, foremost, and underdeveloped regions (3T), to ensure equitable connectivity.

This connectivity is expected not only to support digital transformation in the agricultural sector but also to strengthen economic equity and public welfare in various regions.

The use of AI in the agricultural sector has become a global practice. In the United States, AI technology is used in precision agriculture systems to monitor soil conditions, weather, and water needs in real-time, thereby increasing production efficiency.

In the Netherlands, the utilisation of AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) has even managed to double crop yields with more efficient resource use, making it one of the world’s most productive modern farming models.