Selecting suitable machinery and equipment for effective mechanization

Strengthening Germany-Vietnam relations through agricultural mechanization

In his opening speech at the seminar "Green and sustainable agricultural mechanization: Trends and innovations from Vietnam and other countries", Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, representative of Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, emphasized that in the context of global challenges such as climate change, population growth and urgent food security needs, agricultural mechanization is not only a solution to improve productivity but also a key to achieving green and sustainable agriculture.

Therefore, Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry hopes to cooperate closely with partners, including businesses, international organizations, and government agencies, to jointly research and apply advanced mechanization solutions, contributing to the modernization of the country's agriculture.

Mr. Peter Grothues, member of the Market Council, German Agricultural Society (DLG), stated that the research conducted by Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry is green research, perfectly aligned with current global development trends. With a talented and enthusiastic team of young students, he believes the university will continue to develop advanced solutions and technologies, contributing to improving the capacity and efficiency of Vietnamese agriculture.

"AGRITECHNICA ASIA Vietnam 2025 is one of the core solutions for rapidly advancing agricultural mechanization and innovation in both Vietnam and the broader Southeast Asian region. Through the exhibition, I hope that the relationship between Vietnam and Germany will become even stronger and more developed, working together to build a sustainable, environmentally friendly, and highly competitive agricultural sector in the international market", Mr. Peter added.

Applying agricultural machinery and equipment correctly, adequately and appropriately

Mr. Nguyen Trung Anh, a representative of Gold Max Company, shared that while mechanization is an inevitable trend in the agriculture sector today, its effective application requires choosing equipment that is suitable for each type of crop and the specific needs of farmers.

He provided the example of cassava, an essential crop both for agriculture and the processing industry. However, in regions like Tay Ninh, Binh Thuan, and Binh Phuoc, cassava cultivation still heavily depends on manual labor. To solve this problem, Mr. Trung Anh and Gold Max Company have conducted research and drawn lessons from Thailand’s mechanization practices.

"We have introduced various types of machinery to Vietnam, including plowing machines, cassava planting machines and cassava harvesting machines. These pieces of equipment have delivered impressive results, reducing labor by 50%, increasing productivity by 25-30%, and ensuring a cleaner harvest with fewer damaged tubers", Mr. Trung Anh shared.

Similar to cassava, traditional sugarcane farming still relies heavily on manual labor, which results in low productivity and high costs. To address this issue, the company has introduced mechanization solutions such as: Sugarcane planting machines, which enable faster and more uniform sowing of cuttings, saving on seed costs; ridge-making and fertilizing machines, which help loosen the soil and ensure precise fertilizer distribution; and sugarcane harvesting machines, which provide a neat and clean cut, minimizing post-harvest losses and waste.

"The results showed a 30-40% reduction in labor costs, a 15-20% increase in productivity and faster harvesting, all of which help reduce yield losses", Mr. Trung said.

During the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luan, Director of Lam San Agricultural Cooperative, shared his experiences in climate change-adaptive farming and processing, aiming towards a carbon-neutral rural economy.

Recognizing the pressing issue of climate change, Mr. Luan determined early on to focus on organic farming and an agroforestry model. This approach is particularly suitable for farming in regions like Dong Nam Bo and Tay Nguyen, especially for smallholder farmers.

"Alongside producing through value chains (coffee/pepper/cocoa), we established an association that connects 16 cooperatives in the Central Highlands and Southeast regions, partnering with 5.000 farmers who cultivate pepper, coffee, cocoa and cashew. Moreover, our cooperative regularly organizes training sessions on cultivation practices, quality control and actively participates in projects in collaboration with local authorities and farmers", Mr. Luan shared.

As a result, in the early years of operation (2014-2015), the cooperative successfully provided domestic businesses with 100 tons of safe pepper for export to Europe. At one point, Lam San Agricultural Cooperative was able to export over 1.000 tons of various types of pepper. Of this, 85% of the production was sent to the European market, while the remaining portion was exported to Japan, China and South Korea.

In terms of mechanization, since early 2020, Lam San Agricultural Cooperative has invested in machinery systems and upgraded its facilities with a total capital of about 80.000 USD to produce a new product: white pepper. This new product has helped increase its value by more than 50% compared to the export value of black pepper.