Hanoi (VNA) – Expertsoutlined challenges and made policy recommendations to enhance the use ofadvanced technology in agriculture during a seminar on approaching Agriculture4.0 held by the Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM) in Hanoi onNovember 9.

Addressing the event, CIEMDeputy Director Phan Duc Hieu said that the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry4.0) has increased efficiency in agriculture for many countries. In Vietnam,several agribusinesses have applied digital technologies in their productionstages, from seedling and cultivation to harvest and distribution, he said.

Though Industry 4.0 helpsreduce labour intensity and improve productivity for the sector, few companieshave made proper use of the technology, he noted, emphasising the need to formulatepolicies to foster better high-tech approaches amongst agribusinesses.

Nguyen Thi Luyen, head of theCIEM’s Department of Economic Institution, mentioned the significance ofagriculture in the country’s economic growth, saying the sector has enjoyed an increasingtrade surplus, which has exceeded 8 billion USD so far this year, not tomention providing 40 percent of the nation’s total employment.

Vietnam will see strongerwaves of technological innovation in agriculture as it works towards further internationalintegration and trade liberalisation, yet competition will also become stiffer,Luyen noted.

To satisfy the growing demandof consumers, companies should be striving to apply the latest Industry 4.0 advancements,like smart agriculture sensors, Internet of Things, drones, farming robots, orsmart financial management in farms, she suggested.

She moved on to cite Israel’sexperience in taking advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. ThoughIsrael is a small country, lacking labourers in its farming sector, and has sufferedchronic water shortages for years (with two-thirds of its total area as arid orsemi-arid land), it is one of the world’s leaders in agriculture. Israeliagriculture has been built on technological innovation and advancement, ratherthan competitive edges in natural conditions. There are firms providingcomprehensive technological solutions for precision agriculture, so all farmsand net houses in Israel are installed with a digital control system, usingsensors and automated technologies.

In Vietnam, some firms,cooperatives and farmers have started using smart technologies in farming inrecent years. For example, VIFARM JSC based in Ba Ria-Vung Tau has developed acomputer-operated hydroponic system for growing vegetables, while Cau Dat Farmhas invested in an automated agricultural production from farm to fork, shenoted.

However, the number of suchcompanies is relatively small and more advanced technologies have been appliedonly in a few stages of production, she added.

There is plenty of room foragriculture to expand in Vietnam, but if the sector cannot seize opportunitiesfrom Industry 4.0 wave to increase productivity and product quality, it will beleft behind, Assoc. Prof., PhD. Dinh Dung Sy from the Government Office said.

Sy further noted thatagricultural investment towards sustainability should be a focus of thecountry’s socio-economic development in the next decade. It is vital to connectagribusinesses, investors, and farmers and, at the same time, extend land usepermits and facilitate the more flexible conversion of farming land that allowsshifts from growing rice to other crops, aquaculture, or animal husbandry thathave higher added value, he recommended.

The Government should alsoencourage the establishment of agribusinesses, he added.

CIEM’s Hieu highlighted theimportance of selecting appropriate technology in agriculture and developingsignature farming products for each province and region that fit market needs.Furthermore, the Government must adopt business-centred policies that supportthe transfer of agricultural technology and the formation of a sustainablefarming supply chain, he said. –VNA