A smarter mango is a safer, more profitable fruit

Smart technologies are being applied to improve the efficiency of agricultural production and of product processing and preservation, and lower related costs.

Technologies ready for transfer to agricultural enterprises

Technology investment

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ky Phung, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology said that in 2018, Vietnam’s agricultural sector achieved a growth rate of 3.76 percent and earned export revenue of US$40.02 billion with a trade surplus of about US$8.72 billion. However, the value of Vietnamese agricultural products in general is 15-50 percent lower than that of products of the same kind from other countries due to their modest quality, he said. The loss rate of agricultural products in Vietnam is 9-30 percent, Phung said. The professor attributed the problems to poor technology application in cultivation, transportation, preservation and post-harvest processing.

Phung said that Ho Chi Minh City is focusing on developing high-tech agriculture to shift from traditional to modern agricultural cultivation. Although the state has policies on promoting Industry 4.0-based agriculture, this sector remains less developed.

A market for smart solutions and equipment for agricultural production in Vietnam has been formed with the participation of Demeter, MimosaTEK, and Infinity Blockchain Labs, which mainly provide sensors for verifying the health of plants and of the cultivation environments, QR code-based origin traceability, LED lighting, agricultural robots, smart farm finance management, and hydroponic technology.

Technology mart

Techmart 2019, themed “Technology and Equipment for Farming, Produce & Food Processing and Preserving”, took place from May 9 to 10, 2019 in Ho Chi Minh City.

New technologies that help save cultivation costs and improve the quality of agricultural products were introduced at this year’s event.

The event displayed and introduced various manufacturing lines as well as modern machinery from research institutes, universities, and technological businesses in the fields of farming, produce processing, and food preservation. Notable among them were equipment for use in irrigation and nutrition control in 1,000-5,000 square meter cultivation farms; and bactericidal water production equipment for use in vegetable and fruit processing and preservation.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 is affecting various sectors of the economy, including agriculture. So as not to be left behind, Vietnamese agriculture should adapt itself by implementing new advanced technologies and solutions.