Farmers in Nghe An in the 4.0 era

Dare to think, dare to act.

Mr. Nguyen Van Son - Director of Phu Thinh Agricultural and Service Cooperative in Hung Nguyen district - is one of the first people to introduce strawberry cultivation.scale of goods productionin Nghe An.

“Many people are still worried about whether strawberry plants are suitable for cultivation in Nghe An. But now, in their fifth year, the plants are developing very well. In fact, I even expect to produce strawberries that are tastier and more famous than those grown in colder regions. If you dare to bet on the future, anything is possible, as long as you have the knowledge, are willing to learn, and apply it,” Mr. Son shared.

These strawberries were grown by Nguyen Van Son in Hung Nguyen. Photo: PH

After graduating with a degree in biology, Mr. Son spent a year training in Israel – a country with a highly developed high-tech agriculture operating in extremely harsh natural conditions. With added experience working at TH Group in the greenhouse farming sector, in 2019, Mr. Son boldly resigned to become a "farmer 4.0".

On an area of ​​2,500 m²² In Hung Khanh commune, a greenhouse covering 1,100 square meters.²Built with investment and equipped with an automatic irrigation system utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) technology, it has the advantage of almost completely automatically recognizing nutrient levels in the soil, temperature, and light to adjust the care regimen to the most optimal level.

Nguyen Van Son, Director of Phu Thinh Agricultural and Service Cooperative, inside a greenhouse growing cantaloupe. Photo: PH

For over three years, Mr. Son has been growing a variety of high-value crops in his greenhouse and surrounding clean production land, such as strawberries, cantaloupe, and cucumbers. The products are of very high quality, completely clean, have attractive packaging, high yields, and command higher prices, yet he consistently has a steady stream of individual and wholesale customers. Visitors to the farm not only buy products but also get to experience, tour, and learn about the production process of each crop.

We already have our cantaloupe product recognized under the OCOP program; with the support and connections from the province, in addition to promoting on social media, the cooperative will actively promote the product on e-commerce platforms, in supermarkets and large distribution systems to ensure stable consumption and high value.

Mr. Nguyen Van Son - Director of Phu Thinh Agricultural and Service Cooperative

Building on its initial successes, Phu Thinh Agricultural and Service Cooperative continued to implement an agricultural production and agro-tourism project in Cua Lo town, diversifying its orchards with fruit trees, grapes, cantaloupe, roses, and a 0.5-hectare greenhouse.

Besides rice, in recent years, Yen Thanh district has also become famous for its other products.Xã Đoài orangesGrown on the hilly land of Dong Thanh and Minh Thanh communes, Mr. Truong Van Bien, the owner of an orange orchard in Dong Trung hamlet, Dong Thanh commune, said: "Although it's been nine years since I started growing them, my orange orchard still yields nearly 30 tons/ha. The fruit is juicy and beautiful, and always sells for 40,000 - 50,000 VND/kg at the orchard."

“The orange orchard has an automatic irrigation system; just press a button and the entire orchard is watered. This not only saves labor and water but also ensures even watering, providing just the right amount of water for the orange trees to grow,” Mr. Bien shared. To achieve high yields and good quality oranges, he sought technical advice from an expert at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. In addition to following VietGAP standards, Mr. Bien also uses chili peppers, garlic, and ginger to create a biological pesticide.

Nghe An province has many orange-growing areas where "4.0 farmers" invest in planting and caring for oranges according to VietGAP standards, creating the Vinh Orange brand. (Photo: Xuan Hoang)

Thanks to this, while many orange orchards are experiencing premature degradation, his family's 5 hectares of orange trees continue to grow and produce good, safe products that are trusted by consumers.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Duong, Vice Chairman of the Yen Thanh District People's Committee: To date, nearly 400 hectares of orange orchards in the district have basically adopted the automatic drip irrigation process. Along with other technical solutions, the oranges have high quality and consistently fetch high prices.

Not only in production, but also in consumption, with support from the State and their quick thinking and ability to grasp trends, farmers in Yen Thanh have developed many effective methods such as participating in livestreaming, connecting with customers, promoting and selling products on social media...

A model of growing cherry tomatoes in greenhouses by farmers in Quynh Luong commune (Quynh Luu district). Photo: Thanh Phuc

Besides oranges, Yen Thanh also has commercially farmed black snails that have been introduced to the market.E-commerce PlatformKnown to customers in many provinces and cities, the supply of goods has sometimes been insufficient to meet market demand. Furthermore, to date, nearly 1,000 hectares of rice fields in the district have been fully mechanized, from tray seedling sowing to machine transplanting.

Many livestock farms are applying high-tech methods such as automatic feeding and drinking systems, waste treatment, and investing in cooling and heating systems for barns, such as Mr. Le Cong Chat's farm in Khanh Thanh commune with a scale of 1,000 pigs, and Mr. Le Van Hung's farm in Tien Thanh commune with a scale of 12,000 chickens...

In Yen Thanh district, there are nearly 30 greenhouses that have been invested in and apply modern, automated production technology, mainly producing high-quality vegetables and fruits, ensuring food safety.

An inevitable trend

If high-tech agriculture focuses on changing production methods from traditional to modern, then Agriculture 4.0 is about changing agricultural management methods, paving the way for precise, tightly controlled production activities that do not require direct human presence.

Globally, Industry 4.0 is currently a trend and a choice that has helped many countries' agriculture achieve significant successes. Following this general trend, in Vietnam, the backward, fragmented, and small-scale agricultural production system that existed for hundreds of years is gradually being replaced by advanced, concentrated production methods that are increasingly becoming commercialized.

Many farmers in Nghe An province have learned to use information technology to sell their agricultural products through e-commerce platforms. (Photo: Thanh Phuc)

In Nghe An province, there is an increasing number of farmers who dare to think outside the box, boldly approach, invest in, and apply scientific and technological advancements to production. Along with the involvement of businesses, these honest farmers are gradually changing their production methods and mindsets to create concentrated, high-quality goods, as well as finding stable and higher-value markets.

To encourage farmers to move towards modern and sustainable agricultural production, over the years, Nghe An province has implemented many mechanisms and policies to support farmers in land consolidation and exchange, and to create sources of production capital.Transfer of scientific and technological advancementsThis includes market research, participating in trade fairs, and listing products on e-commerce platforms…

Many agricultural products from Nghe An have participated in trade fairs, increasing their value. (Photo courtesy of Viet Phuong)

In particular, through the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program with its support mechanisms for brand building, product promotion, and processes for monitoring, classifying, and upgrading products, farmers have increasingly adapted to new agricultural practices, paying attention to quality, technological processes, brand value, and aiming for sustainable production and increased value.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van De, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, although there are still many difficulties and challenges on the journey to building Agriculture 4.0, this remains a direction that the province and the sector are interested in and support. With the dynamism, creativity, and willingness to think outside the box of farmers, Agriculture 4.0 will be one of the important "leverage" helping Nghe An develop, aiming for efficient and sustainable agricultural economics.

Phu Huong