AGTECH – The Digital Era of Vietnamese Agriculture

Have a nice day with the Innovation of the week column from BambuUP!

Contributing 14.9% to Vietnam’s GDP (2020), the birth of Agtech (application of technology in agriculture) helps to improve productivity and product quality, and gradually improve people’s lives. Vietnam is becoming an important link in the value chain of the world agricultural industry. 

Let’s update the latest trends in the Agtech industry with BambuUP!

1. IoT and sensors

Smart agriculture based on IoT technology helps farmers reduce waste and increase productivity from using the right amount of fertilizer, optimizing resources such as water, electricity, etc. IoT solutions for smart farms are built to monitor the field with the support of all kinds of sensors (light, humidity, temperature, soil moisture, crop health, etc.) and automatically regulate irrigation water. The farmer can monitor the conditions of the farm from anywhere. 

Advances in blockchain and real-time food monitoring using Internet of Things (IoT) devices allow food brands to provide end-to-end traceability. Start-ups are furthering the traceability and transparency of food products by developing scalable and cost-effective monitoring solutions. That increases trust between food producers and consumers, positively affecting brand reputation and sales.

2. Robots and automation

Agricultural robots automate slow, repetitive, and boring tasks for farmers, allowing them to focus more on improving production productivity at scale. The most popular robots in agriculture are used for such tasks as: Reaping and harvesting, weed control, cutting, pruning, seeding, spraying, breeding new varieties, sorting and packing agricultural products, etc. Robots and automation are also applied in food production and processing lines to help ensure quality and improve productivity.

3. Drone technology and crop monitoring

Drone technology has been tested and applied for a long time, but has only recently been applied to the agricultural sector. This helped to promote the development of precision agriculture. This technology is used for soil and topographic analysis, crop monitoring, spraying, seeding, and some irrigation-related work.

4. Machine learning and analytics 

Precise algorithms coupled with big data and high-speed computers have opened new opportunities for monitoring, analysis, and decision-making for farming and animal husbandry. Machine learning is used in areas such as species management, growing conditions management, and crop and animal quality and yield management.

5. Electronic trading floor in agriculture

Online shopping is a trend in today’s modern life. From this trend, e-commerce platforms for agricultural products and agricultural products are also gradually formed and integrated. In Vietnam, many agricultural e-commerce platforms have begun to directly connect buyers and sellers, while there are also agricultural platforms connecting raw material suppliers, farmers, and end consumers.