Industry 4.0 technologies applied in agriculture in Lac Thuy district

Nearly all crops in Hoa Binh province are currently cultivated outdoor using traditional methods which lack disease and fertilization control processes, resulting in unqualified and low-value products. In that context, the Hoa Binh GAP Co. Ltd, based in Thanh Ha township of Lac Thuy district, has launched a project on building net houses for organic honeydew and vegetable farming.

The Hoa Binh GAP Co. Ltd in Lac Thuy district has taken the lead in applying high technologies in vegetable and fruit production.

The company began agricultural production using Industry 4.0 technologies in January 2016 by building infrastructure, including building 5,000 sq.m. of net house and installing irrigation systems. One year later, it cultivated honeydew melon plants in the 5,000 sq.m. of net house and build another one hectare of net house, raising the net house area to 1.5ha out of the total 4.3ha farming area.

This is still the first and only model applying Industry 4.0 technologies in agriculture in Hoa Binh so far.

Thanks to the application of many technical measures, plants have been farmed in the best possible conditions. Nearly 100 percent of pest and 80 percent of diseases has been prevented without using plant protection chemicals. Productivity and quality of farm produce have been improved and met food safety standards while 70 percent of the labour needed for the work has been reduced.

The project has provided permanent jobs for 25 – 30 people and seasonal jobs for  20 – 25 others with average per capita income of 3.5 – 4.5 million VND (about 150 – 195 USD) each month. It has not only generated big profit for the investor but also helped improve local residents’ awareness of applying science-technology in agriculture to raise economic benefits and protect public health.

 The project is an example of science-technology application in Hoa Binh.

Products of the Hoa Binh GAP Co. Ltd have had origin-tracing labels and been supplied mainly for supermarkets and stores selling goods meeting the Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices (VietGAP) standards./.