Ilustrative image (Photo: nongnghiep.vn) The national digitaltransformation programme until 2025, with a vision to 2030, identifiesagriculture as one of the eight priority fields.
Accordingly, digitaltransformation in agriculture will focus on developing smart agriculture andprecision agriculture while raising the proportion of digital agriculture inthe economy.
Farm produce’s value increases thanks to digitaltransformation
Since late 2018, Van HoiXanh, a vegetable production cooperative in Tam Duong district, has applied the VietGAPsoftware, helping it be free from manually keeping production diaries and onlyneed to check updated data via a computer or a smartphone.
The software has made iteasier for the cooperative to monitor the use of input materials like seeds,fertilisers, and plant protection substances by its members. Besides, Van HoiXanh has also digitalised marketing and product selling activities.
Thanks to technologyapplication, its vegetable output has increased by 5 - 10 percent from thepast, supplying tens of tonnes of safe vegetables for the market each month.
Since 2019, Binh Minhlivestock farming cooperative in Lap Thach district has spent billions of VNDon upgrading and building its farming system and cooperated with somesmallholders to produce clean pork under VietGAP standards, becoming the firstcooperative in Vinh Phuc province to apply a circular livestock farming model.
Mac Tuan Hai, director of thecooperative, said using old farming practices, it costs farms much to hirelabourers or buy feed and medicine.
When high technology isapplied, each pig is numbered and monitored via e-diary. Traders can also watchvia the camera system to select and purchase pigs, he noted.
Digital transformation key to developing hi-techagriculture
The outcomes that somebusinesses and cooperatives in Vinh Phuc province have obtained demonstrate that digitaltransformation is an important key helping farmers produce agriculturalproducts at the lowest possible costs but sell at the highest possible prices.
To create prerequisites fordigital transformation in agriculture, relevant agencies in the province haveproactively built database about local agriculture, forestry, and fishery;worked to apply scientific - technological advances into the sector; and advisedprovincial leaders about mechanisms and policies assisting agricultural firmsin this regard.
Vinh Phuc is currently hometo many fruit, vegetable, and livestock farming zones meeting the VietGAPstandards. Many of them have gathered in production chains, thus raisingproduction value per each hectare of farming and successfully exporting severalproducts like red-fleshed dragon fruit, banana, and bee honey to foreignmarkets.
However, the provincialDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development also admitted that technologyapplication and digital transformation in Vinh Phuc remain modest, and thattraditional cultivation practices that primarily rely on human labour are stillpopular.
The target of digitaltransformation in agriculture is the people, which in turn are both thebeneficiary and player of digital transformation. However, it will be hard tosecure success if farmers are left alone during this process, but mechanisms,policies, resources, and support from authorities and enterprises arenecessary, the department said.
Applying digital technology into agriculture
Basing on the nationaldigital transformation programme, Vinh Phuc has issued special policies toencourage investment in agriculture and rural areas during the 2020 - 2025period.
It is set to gradually applydigital technology into production and business processes, along with themanagement and monitoring of supply chains.
In the short term, it issupporting investment in production zones of safe pork, vegetables, fruits, andflowers under VietGAP standards; helping farmers make use of technology to growthe crops and livestock that Vinh Phuc has strength in; and providing trainingfor and transferring sci-technological advances to farmers, thus gradually formingsupply chains.
Local authorities expectthese moves will help the province develop hi-tech farming zones, promotetrade, and advertise local agricultural products to the domestic and foreignmarkets./.
VNA
