The plenary session of the Vietnam Agricultural Digital Transformation International Forum 2021 took place on September 16 with the attendance of more than 1,300 delegates.

Addressing the forum, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said the Resolution from the 13th Party Congress affirmed that one of the country’s development orientations for the 2021-2030 period is to accelerate national digital transformation and develop the digital economy.

According to an assessment from Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, Vietnam’s agriculture sector has recorded many important achievements over the years and become an economic pillar. But he also acknowledged that productivity and output have gradually reached their ceiling due to limitations at the scientific and technical level, the decline of natural resources, the negative impact of climate change and extreme weather, and unusual diseases. Total agricultural land is also shrinking significantly. Minister Hoan acknowledged the role of digital technology in the development of the agricultural sector.

At two thematic seminars - “Improving the Ecosystem for Vietnam’s Agriculture Digital Transformation” and “Developing Human Resources to Meet the Needs of Digitizing Agriculture in Vietnam” - many businesses, entrepreneurs, and representatives from local governments shared their experience in implementing digital transformation in agriculture.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nhan from the Viet Uc Seafood Corporation said that digital transformation is a strategic goal of the company. Though it encountered difficulties in changing mindsets during digitalization, this enabled it to avoid production disruptions during the pandemic.

Mr. Nguyen Khac Lich, Director of the Lang Son Provincial Department of Information and Communications, pointed out that the primary difficulties are changing behaviors from traditional to technical methods and a lack of funds for investment. Authorities in the northern province, however, have identified the problems and recorded positive results in efforts to address them.