Digital transformation - A big push for agriculture in Tea Land of Thai Nguyen

From production

Since designated as Secretary of Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee, Nguyen Thanh Hai (Mrs.) has always hoped to make Thai Nguyen become a digital transformation center in the Northern Midlands and Mountains and  one out of 15 provinces and cities leading the country in terms of digital transformation by 2025. Resolution No.1 dated December 2020 is the first of its kind made by Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee in this tenure. The Resolution has made positive impacts on every aspect of social and economic life of the province including agriculture industry.

The application of digital technologies has been seen in a wide range of sector. Right after the Resolution was issued by Thai Nguyen Provincial Party Committee; the province competent authorities implemented the digitalization of crop management as part of the one-billion-tree program. With the policy on digital transformation, the Thai Nguyen Department of Information and Communication coordinated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, VNPT Thai Nguyen to implement digital transformation for crop management.

Using technologies for planting, managing, caring for and monitoring crops is considered an initiative. Each plant has a separate QRCode. With that code, the management agency can trace origin, location and conditions of each plant at a specific time through an electronic information system.

Accompanying the agricultural sector, the Thai Nguyen Department of Science and Technology implemented a project to develop and expand the application of technologies in agricultural production.  Accordingly, the project management board operated and synchronously connected to 10 monitoring systems in the province to monitor and improve early warning model for insects and pests causing damage on tea plants. Daily weather forecasts were updated automatically through the two telecommunication networks of Vinaphone and MobiFone. Real-time monitoring parameters and sub-regional weather forecasts with high accuracy have become a solid foundation for weather-related applications.

To make early wildfire warning, the Thai Nguyen Department of Agriculture and Rural Development installed and operated stably 10 automatic warning signs which have sensors to realize the changes in heat, humidity, temperature to forecast risks of forest fires. Electronic chips integrated on smartphones can send fire alert to forest ranger's phones.

In addition, the Thai Nguyen agricultural authority is developing early warning system in disaster management through integrating data from automatic rain gauge stations and online camera system installed at key places like reservoirs, dams, dikes in the area. So far, the Thai Nguyen Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has set up 10 automatic rain gauge stations funded  by Thai Nguyen's Community Disaster Prevention Fund; installing cameras to monitor water levels at 10 major reservoirs which have design capacity of above 1 million cubic meter.

In livestock production sector, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thai Nguyen worked with localities to synchronously develop and put online animal disease information system into operation effectively.

Director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Pham Van Sy said many models of using high technologies in production and processing have been formed through the process of digital transformation, contributing to the change of production methods in a positive way, bringing high economic efficiency as well as adapting well to actual conditions of the province.

To consumption

Chairman of the Thai Nguyen Tea Association Nguyen Thi Nga said the association is developing "Applying digital technologies to management, production, traceability and trading of Thai Nguyen tea products" project. With the use of technologies in verifying tea origin, the information of the products will be more transparent; thereby building trust with consumers and improving the role of Thai Nguyen Tea trademark in the market.

Since 2018, the website httpsthainguyentea.gov.vn has been put into operation. Until now more than 50 units, enterprises in the area have participated in the system with over 1,000 products sold online. The products have received support to be labeled QRcodes free.

Director of the Thai Nguyen Department of Information and Communication Do Xuan Hoa said agriculture is considered a priority in the province's digital transformation program during the period of 2021-2025. The relevant agencies have organized many programs to assist the local farmers to sell their products on e-commerce platforms, especially OCOP products. In Thai Nguyen, nearly 100,000 farming households have currently received supports from the e-commerce platforms like Postmart and Vo So to go online to sell their products. Thanks to that, farmers have a chance of learning new skills and being trained on the selling of goods over the Internet.

Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Thai Nguyen province Duong Van Luong said the digital transformation program from now until 2025 will focus on high technology agriculture, smart farming, agricultural administration and management based on digital technologies; developing a data system on land, soil, plants and livestock.

To accomplish the set goals, Thai Nguyen provincial government will continue to come up with solutions with the focus on digital transformation and administrative reform; designing shared software for data management; applying digital technologies to supply concrete guidance in production, quality management, traceability, geographical indication and e-commerce.