Digital agriculture transformation - an inevitable movement

Establishment of Steering Committee for Digital Agriculture Transformation

On December 14^th, the MARD announced the decision to establish the Steering Committee for Digital Agriculture Transformation (SCDAT).

Minister Le Minh Hoan holds the position of Head of the Steering Committee. The Deputy Head of the Steering Committee is Mr. Phung Duc Tien, MARD Deputy Minister. The members assisting the Steering Committee include leaders of units under the MARD.

Accordingly, the Steering Committee has the duty to direct and implement the MARD’s tasks specified in the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 749 dated June 3^rd, 2020.

SCDAT researches and proposes promulgation of policies and mechanisms in management and administration, formulatés programs, schemes, master plans, and strategies to integrate contents related to agricultural digital transformation.

People and enterprises will be further encouraged to promote production and trading in agricultural value chains in the direction of digitization and help develop smart new rural areas across the country.

SCDAT will instruct agencies and units under the MARD to build data systems of the sector and initiate digitization in each specialized field: agricultural land, crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, processing,...

The Committee will also apply digital technology in market forecasting and warning, planning management. Production, trading, management and traceability monitoring procedures can now be switched to the automatic mode which guarantees speed, transparency and accuracy. There are even discussions about piloting the idea of "Each farmer is a businessman, and each cooperative is a business applying digital technology."

MARD also announced the decision to make August 19^th every year as the Digital Agriculture Transformation Day.

The Digital Agriculture Transformation Day aims to raise awareness of people about the mission, necessity, and urgency of digital transformation in agriculture and rural development. The event also serves as a way to call for synchronous action at all levels to triumph the national digital transformation program.

Staying out of the picture is not an option

Mr. Phung Duc Tien, MARD Deputy Minister, SCDAT Deputy Head, said that the 13th Party Congress reaffirmed the position of digital transformation as one of the three pillars along with the strong development of science - technology and innovation. Digital transformation represents many major breakthroughs, contributing to "creating a breakthrough in productivity, quality, efficiency and competitivity."

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien said that the task of digital agriculture transformation is built on three pillars: Digital Ministry, Digital Agricultural Economy, and Digital Rural - Farmers.

Digital transformation has recently marked its appearance in the fields of cultivation, animal husbandry, aquaculture and forestry and achieved certain results. However, the conversion and application scale is still limited and lacks synchrony between regions, areas and localities.

Mr. Phung Duc Tien believed that digital agriculture transformation requires a long-term vision and must start from the farmer level. Digital platforms and data will serve as the core foundation of the transformation. All policies will aim towards farmers, rural businesses, cooperatives - those who must also oblige to participate in the transformation process.

"Digital transformation is a new wave, an objective requisite and requirement of development which cannot be ignored, especially in agriculture. This issue affects all agencies and units under MARD as well as people and businesses in the country. They must immediately initiate the transformation to form an overall system interconnected with all levels," said the MARD leader.