Published May 30, 2026 6:06pm + Add GMA on Google Make this your preferred source to get more updates from this publisher on Google. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Saturday said Japanese agri-tech firm E-SupportLink Ltd. expressed interest in expanding its operations in the Philippines.In a news release, the DTI said domestic banana producers could gain access to advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and drone systems that help detect plant diseases earlier and improve plantation productivity through E-SupportLink’s solutions.The Japanese firm expressed this intent during a meeting attended by Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., and E-SupportLink Executive Vice President Hiroyuki Fukatsu, along with senior company officials, on the sidelines of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Japan.The DTI said E-SupportLink’s long-term expansion plan builds on the Japanese firm’s ongoing partnership with the DA, the Department of Science and Technology, and banana industry groups in Mindanao to test modern farming technologies for banana plantations.The project uses drones, AI-assisted image analysis, and digital monitoring systems to help farmers better manage their crops.The DTI said the project aims to help Filipino farmers monitor plantations in real time and detect diseases earlier, especially Fusarium infections, which can seriously damage banana crops.By using drone images and AI-powered analysis, farmers can identify problem areas faster, improve plantation management, and increase operational efficiency, it said.“This project will directly benefit our farmers, especially smallholder growers and agricultural communities, by introducing AI- and drone-enabled solutions. It will also improve productivity, strengthen disease monitoring, reduce operational challenges, and support more sustainable livelihoods for millions of Filipino farmers who depend on the banana industry,” said Roque.Besides bananas, the DTI mentioned that talks also looked into using AI-enabled agricultural technologies for other important Philippine crops like coconut, cacao, and pineapple, as well as broader opportunities for cooperation in agricultural digitalization, AI-driven logistics, and innovation-led agricultural development.To support these potential investments, the DTI said the government continues to strengthen the business environment through the CREATE MORE Act and ongoing ease-of-doing-business reforms, alongside investment facilitation support from agencies such as the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. — VBL, GMA News