The agriculture sector grew 2.02 per cent in the first nine months of 2019, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), posting export revenue of $30.02 billion and a trade surplus of $6.86 billion; higher than in the same period of last year. 

   The sector has continually grown over past years with significant achievements and changes made towards modernity, efficiency, and sustainability. As Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong told VET: “In the context of Industry 4.0, to ensure that the agriculture sector, rural areas, and farmers continue to develop, it is necessary to focus on restructuring the sector towards global integration to create larger value chains at all stages and to focus on building a clean and organic agriculture sector through scientific and technological advances.”

   Vietnam has seen an increasing number of enterprises investing in agriculture over the last three years as well as rising numbers of large groups pouring money into digital development in the sector, such as the TH Group, Vingroup, and Thaco, to name just a few.

   In our Cover Story this month, we report on how agricultural enterprises are actively investing in digital development and how they are applying innovative solutions to move towards full digitalization. Conversely, we also note the challenges and obstacles they face in terms of capital and human resources during the process. 

   Given such context, the establishment of the Vietnam Digital Agriculture Association (VIDA) in late September is expected to support agricultural enterprises move towards digitalization, in order for the country to “Be Rich in Agriculture”. 

   The government has also set a target of achieving annual growth of 3 per cent in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries production value to 2030, and 6-8 per cent annually in terms of exports. 

   To achieve these targets, concerted efforts are needed from economic sectors, farmer organizations, the government, and enterprises in Vietnam that are all pulling in the same direction.