Smart Agriculture 5.0: Vision from the 'locomotives'

From vision to reality of 4.0 technology in every glass of clean milk

Sharing on the sidelines of the forum on smart agriculture in Vietnam, Mr. Ngo Minh Hai - Chairman of the Board of Directors of TH Group (owner of the TH true MILK brand) said that 15 years ago, when the concept of 4.0 agriculture was still quite vague in Vietnam, Labor Hero Thai Huong - founder of TH Group had a vision of combining science and technology and management science to create top quality products with high productivity, reasonable prices, for the health of the community.

From that vision and determination, TH Group has systematically invested in the world's leading advanced scientific and technological achievements in Vietnam, applying them synchronously and consistently in all closed production processes.

Mr. Ngo Minh Hai shared: "Each of our dairy cows is equipped with a chip to monitor their health with an advanced herd management system from Israel and the Netherlands, a disease management process, veterinary medicine from New Zealand, a software system to control mixing, and create food rations (1-One, DNS)... Not only that, TH has now become the leading unit in Vietnam in mastering IVF technology - artificial insemination for dairy cows, contributing to helping the Group and the country's livestock industry become more self-sufficient in high-quality dairy cow breeds."

In the pastures, giant irrigation arms are operated by smart apps with sensors that automatically measure soil moisture. Combine harvesters can process 2 tons of material per minute, while automated hay balers can replace the work of 800 workers.

Since its establishment, TH true MILK fresh milk factory has been equipped with modern technology from G7 countries and Europe, currently reaching a production capacity of 1 million liters/day - a record in the dairy industry in Vietnam and the world. In particular, TH applies SAP's S4/Hana management system - a world-leading modern management platform, anticipating future technology trends.

“This advanced management system allows for synchronous monitoring and analysis of data at every stage of the production chain. While it used to take hours to analyze data from a 1,000-line Excel file, now with new technology, it only takes 1 second to process a 10 million-line Excel file. Data synchronization helps us minimize waste, optimize resource use, and minimize environmental impact. In addition, because the system uses real-time data, TH is regularly updated with market demand forecasts. From there, production plans can be adjusted, and the exact time to plant, fertilize, and harvest to ensure the highest quality products are always available.” Mr. Ngo Minh Hai shared about the application of high technology in all areas of production and business management at TH.

TH's project in Nghe An has created a glass of clean, international-standard fresh milk right on Vietnamese soil, while achieving circular economy goals and minimizing environmental impacts. In its modern and sustainable production chain, TH Group has been sharing high-tech solutions to each farmer and partner with the aim of reducing emissions in all stages of production, accompanying the move towards Net Zero as committed by the Vietnamese Government at COP26.

Towards smart and sustainable agriculture

Not stopping at current achievements, TH is looking towards the future with agriculture 5.0. Mr. Hai emphasized: "Smart agriculture 5.0 is a combination of full automation and biotechnology, more flexible and capable of integrating more advanced technologies."

In this new era of smart agriculture 5.0, Mr. Ngo Minh Hai said that TH continues to focus on two core factors: people and building a green economy, a circular economy. In the circular production chain at TH Group, waste from one stage becomes an input resource for another stage. Instead of being discarded, many resources are circulated to continue creating new values, thereby reducing emissions, minimizing environmental pollution, and protecting nature.

Mr. Hai shared a figurative way about the working environment in the era of rapidly developing technology: "When we no longer call machines robots or virtual assistants, but call them colleagues, then the boundaries between physical space and virtual space will be blurred."

This, according to the Chairman of TH's Board of Directors, has posed a big challenge for human resources: "they must be smart enough to work with these technological "colleagues".

At TH Group, people are always considered a pillar of sustainable development. Since its inception, the Group has invested heavily in training high-quality human resources capable of mastering and operating advanced technology systems. At the same time, TH has also actively cooperated in research, development and technology transfer with domestic and international partners, invested in advanced automation systems, and developed production models according to consumer requirements.

“Tens of thousands of employees at TH always feel proud and more attached to working at a pioneering group contributing to the sustainable development of the country. The cultural value of “For true happiness” is also a double benefit for the business, for society and for the opportunity to apply high technology to Vietnam’s sustainable agricultural economy,” Mr. Hai emphasized.

TH's model not only brings value to the enterprise itself but also has the potential to spread widely. Mr. Dang Kim Son - Permanent Vice President of the Association of CNC Agricultural Enterprises (ATEA) emphasized at the forum: "The answer to the problem of applying high technology in agriculture lies in: how large corporations and enterprises that are applying high technology can expand production scale, become the nucleus of spreading and supporting the application of science and technology for small and medium enterprises along with cooperatives and all farmers."

Agreeing with the above viewpoint, Mr. Hoang Quang Phong - Vice President of VCCI said: "The application of high technology in agriculture is not only a trend but also an urgent requirement to improve productivity, quality and competitiveness of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market. Pioneering enterprises like TH are opening a new direction for Vietnam's agricultural sector."

TH’s pioneering story of applying high technology in a synchronous and effective manner is not only a story of technology investment, but also a solid proof of the vision and determination to bring Vietnamese agriculture to the world. With its pioneering steps and aspiration to serve the community, TH is contributing to the Vietnamese agricultural industry towards a future where technology and nature blend together, creating high-quality, environmentally friendly products and meeting the increasing demands of consumers.