Ninh Binh's farmers assisted to keep up with digital transformation

Being aware of these shortcomings, in 2021, the Ninh Binh provincial Farmers' Union began a project on "Digital transformation in the provincial Farmers' Union's activities in the 2021-2025 period".

After one year of implementation, local farmers' unions at all levels have helped their members to enhance awareness of digital transformation and their participation in digital economy.

Hoang Ngoc Chinh, Vice Chairman of the provincial Farmers'Union, said in recent years, the province has implemented numerous solutions to apply technology and digital transformation in agricultural production, and it has reaped initial outcomes. The application of high technology in production has shifted from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture, thus increasing labour productivity, minising dependence on natural and environmental conditions as well as bettering control of diseases and seedlings. However, local farmers' application of technology remained limited and there still are small farming practices and no value chain connection.

To solve these shortcomings, the provincial Party Committee has issued Resolution No.01-NQ/TU on building e-administration and digital transformation until 2025, with a vision to 2030. The provincial Farmers' Union built a project on "Digital transformation in the provincial Farmers Union's activities in the 2021-2025 period". The goal of the project is to raise local farmers' awareness of building e-administration and digital transformation, thereby stepping up the application of digital technology in agricultural production.

The project is hoped to change the ways of management and governance of Farmers Unions at all levels; and renew the method of producing, processing and selling of agricultural products of cooperatives, cooperative groups, households and farmers.

In particular, the Famers' Unions at  all levels have supported local farmers in applying information technology in production, processing and consumption of agricultural products. This is seen as one of the effective solutions to help farmers promptly access digital transformation.

The provincial Farmers' Union carried out numerous programmes to support start-ups and provide training courses on trading skills and organising retail networks and consumption channels.

At the same time, it also worked with VNPT to grant QR codes for origin traceability to 250,000 products of local households. This has created momentum for farmers to work, improve their working skills and apply technology in production, thereby establishing reliable sale channels and advertising farm produce efficiently.

To date, nearly 100 local agricultural products have been sold on e-commerce platforms.

Yen Son medical herb production and trading cooperative in  Tam Diep city is among the typical cooperatives in applying e-commerce to sell their products.

Trinh Thi Hoa, a member of the Yen Son cooperative, said thanks to e-commerce, the cooperative's products have been sold to consumers nationwide. In addition, the selling of products on e-commerce platforms has also helped its members change the way of management and selling.

A part from improving the quality of products, the cooperative has also paid more due attention to design label and packaging, thus meeting the high demand of consumers.

Thanks to these measures, the consumption of products is stable. Since the beginning of 2022, the cooperative has sold nearly 2 tonnes of curcumin and other herbal products, thus earning more money.

The Farmers' Unions at all levels in the past time have focused on communication and raising its members' awareness about the application of hi-technology and digital technology and the importance of origin traceability.

In 2021, the provincial Farmers' Union granted 250,000 stamps of origin traceability to products of local households and built 18 models of agricultural production applying  high-technology.

This has created reliability among consumers of the farm produce's quality and origin, ensuring an equal competitiveness among households and cooperatives in the province.

The initial outcomes of the project have created a foundation for the local farmers unions at all levels to carry out numerous activities to support and accompany with farmers in the process of digital transformation, thus contributing to sustainable agricultural development.

Translated by Nguyen Thuy