Digital transformation of agriculture - A "push" to increase the value of agricultural products

The story at Cong Bang Ea Tu Agricultural Service Cooperative (Tan An Ward) is a vivid demonstration of this revolutionary change. Well-known as a reputable coffee producer, the Cooperative is managing a large cultivation area, with more than 60 hectares of coffee produced under Fair Trade Certification (FLO) and more than 259 hectares meeting 4C standards.

Mr. Tran Dinh Trong, Director of Cong Bang Ea Tu Agricultural Service Cooperative, is opening a smart nutrition measurement system to check the health of coffee gardens.

However, what makes Cong Bang Ea Tu Agricultural Service Cooperative different is not only its scale or output but also its pioneering mindset in applying smart technology to production.

Mr. Tran Dinh Trong, Director of the Cooperative, shared that the ultimate goal of the unit is to continuously improve the quality of coffee beans. In particular, to meet the strict environmental protection standards of FLO and 4C certification, the Cooperative has boldly invested in smart nutrition measurement technology.

"With a set of sensors combined with a smartphone application, farmers can now know exactly when their coffee plants need fertilizer, what type of fertilizer they need, and how much is enough," Mr. Trong analyzed.

After more than a year of pilot application on an area of 1.5 hectares, this technology not only optimizes fertilization but also calculates the amount of irrigation water suitable for each type of soil, helping to significantly improve economic efficiency. Farmers have reduced about 20% of fertilizer costs and significantly reduced irrigation water. More importantly, this technology directly solves the problem of fertilizer waste in agriculture and contributes to protecting the ecological environment.

Ms. Pham Thi Bich Thuy, Director of Dong Hoa Lotus Agricultural Service Cooperative (Hoa Xuan commune) introduces and promotes products to customers.

“From the actual results, the cooperative is currently encouraging member households to boldly invest in smart sensor technology in their gardens to build a digital production platform. There, farmers not only master their gardens but also master the technology and product consumption market,” Mr. Tran Dinh Trong added.

The mindset of mastering technology does not stop at the production stage. Realizing that promoting products on digital platforms is the fastest and most effective way to reach consumers, many businesses and cooperatives in the East of Dak Lak province have quickly built new distribution channels, bringing local specialties to e-commerce platforms.

Dong Hoa Lotus Agricultural Service Cooperative (Hoa Xuan Commune) is a typical example. With more than 10 lotus products, of which 6 products have achieved 3-star OCOP certification such as lotus seed powder, lotus heart tea, lotus leaf tea... all have transparent traceability stamps. This has built strong trust among customers.

Tan Hung Agricultural and Forestry Service and Trading Cooperative (Vu Bon commune) uses drones to fertilize rice fields.

Ms. Pham Thi Bich Thuy, Director of Dong Hoa Lotus Agricultural Service Cooperative, said that in addition to traditional channels, the unit is actively promoting sales through Shopee, TikTok, its own website sendonghoa.com , as well as Youtube and Facebook channels. She estimated that revenue from digital platforms accounts for 40-60% of the cooperative's total sales volume.

"Digital channels are not just for selling. We also receive direct feedback from consumers, thereby continuously improving product quality and service to suit market tastes," Ms. Thuy emphasized.

Even smaller-scale production facilities are not left out of the game. Mr. Dang Xuan Thanh, owner of Thanh Tuyen One-sun Beef Facility (Son Hoa Commune), proactively built a TikTok channel, linking with digital content creators to promote the product. As a result, the number of customers skyrocketed, helping the facility sell more than 300 kg of one-sun beef and 200 - 300 salt-cured chickens per month.

The above “sweet fruits” cannot be achieved without mentioning the accompanying role of the provincial agricultural sector. Identifying digital transformation as a key task, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dak Lak is vigorously implementing it in many aspects.

The owner of Thanh Tuyen sun-dried beef production facility (Son Hoa commune) regularly livestreams to promote products to consumers through online sales channels.

In particular, within the industry, a series of specialized applications have been effectively deployed such as: human resources, finance, and asset management; webGIS system on livestock database; software for monitoring forest resource developments; online forest fire warning system; system for evaluating the implementation results of the criteria of the National Target Program on New Rural Development of the province...

Regarding the task of developing the digital economy, the industry has proactively promoted and supported people and businesses to access and apply technology in production and business. However, this path still has challenges. Currently, many businesses only apply technology in stages such as administration, marketing, and sales, but have not yet gone deep into production due to limitations in awareness, technology, and funding.

Ms. Dang Thi Thuy, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, affirmed: "Digital transformation in agriculture is a key task, accompanying the Government in implementing the goals of the National Digital Transformation Program. Localities, cooperatives and people need to seize this opportunity to improve efficiency and adapt to the new development context."

To realize that, in recent times, the agricultural sector has coordinated to organize many training courses on digital transformation, guidance on trademark registration, digitalization of gardens, application of barcodes and growing area codes. At the same time, the Department has also actively supported bringing OCOP products and typical agricultural products of the province to major e-commerce platforms such as PostMart.vn, Voso.vn , Lazada, etc.

The digital revolution in Dak Lak agriculture has just begun, but the initial results have shown a right direction. From optimizing every drop of water, every gram of fertilizer on the field to bringing products to the world with just a few clicks, technology is truly becoming a lever, raising the value of agricultural products and the position of farmers.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/thoi-su/202508/chuyen-doi-so-nong-nghiep-cu-hich-gia-tang-gia-tri-nong-san-86407db/