FarmByte, a digital agri-food company under Johor Corporation (JCorp), and Singapore agritech firm Archisen have launched one of Malaysia's biggest indoor vertical farms in Johor Bahru, marking a major milestone in advancing climate-resilient, tech-enabled food production for the region.
The farm, built out of a joint venture that was formalised in 2024 forming FarmByte Archisen Sdn. Bhd., combines scalable infrastructure with smart farming systems to produce high-quality leafy greens year-round – supporting regional food security goals while also championing environmental stewardship and cross-border collaboration.
Spanning 52,000 square feet, the smart, high-tech indoor vertical farm leverages Controlled-Environment Agriculture (CEA) to grow fresh, pesticide-free produce all year round, regardless of weather conditions. With CEA, the farm allows for real-time monitoring of plant production, nutrient delivery and microclimate using a network of sensors. The automation of irrigation systems at the farm also enables a smooth delivery of the appropriate amount of nutrients to the plants, contributing to the overall efficiency of the growing process.
With its modular, scalable design, the farm's infrastructure also makes it possible to deploy vertical farms in both urban centres and suburban communities, supporting decentralised food production and bringing food production closer to consumers.
Menteri Besar Johor YAB Dato' Onn Hafiz Ghazi, said, "We are proud that this indoor vertical farm is a showcase of the strong and strategic partnership between Malaysia and Singapore in the area of food resilience. The collaboration between FarmByte and Archisen marks a pioneering initiative under the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), setting the tone for deeper cross-border cooperation."
With an estimated annual output of 306,000 kg of fresh produce, the farm is a strategic asset supporting Malaysia's National Food Security Policy Action Plan and Singapore's '30 by 30' food resilience goal.
Among those present at the launch were YB Dato' Zahari Sarip, Chairman of the Johor State Agriculture, Agro-Based Industry and Rural Development Committee; YBhg Datuk Syed Mohamed Ibrahim, President and Chief Executive of JCorp; YB Dato' Mizan Yahya, Chief Executive Officer of FarmByte; Mr Vincent Wei, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Archisen; and Mr Ng Kuan Khai, Consul-General of Singapore in Johor Bahru.
Source: Johor Corporation