October 17, 2024

Vietnam's agriculture faces challenges in digital transformation

Digital transformation is a growing global trend, but Vietnam's agriculture sector is encountering significant obstacles in keeping pace, according to Dang Duy Hien, Deputy Director of the Centre for Digital Transformation and Agricultural Statistics under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam Plus reported.

Vietnam currently ranks 63rd out of 113 countries in digital transformation, with more than half of its population holding electronic payment accounts. The digital economy contributes 20% to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Despite this, the agricultural sector faces several bottlenecks that are slowing its digital progress. Among the key challenges are an underdeveloped information technology infrastructure and fragmented data and information systems. Additionally, there is a lack of coordination and integration among agencies and organisations within the sector.

Another significant hurdle is the limited digital skills of the agricultural workforce, which hampers the sector's ability to adopt new technologies. The high costs associated with digital transformation further complicate efforts, particularly in the absence of robust support mechanisms and policies.

Le Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of Crop Production, highlighted that agriculture is one of the eight priority sectors for digital transformation in Vietnam. The government has set a goal of developing and updating 80% of agricultural data on a big data platform by 2025.

Since 2018, the crop production sector has been working on a digital transformation concept aimed at monitoring and reporting production activities. This initiative has included the development and refinement of the Rice Monitoring and Reporting System (RiceMoRe).

By the end of 2024, the RiceMoRe system is expected to be expanded to 28 cities and provinces. It will also be integrated into the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's foundational database, allowing for improved data sharing across its departments. This integration is intended to streamline the monitoring and reporting processes in agriculture.

-      Vietnam Plus