Digital transformation, now a global trend, faces significant hurdles in Vietnam's agriculture sector. Illustrative image. (Photo: VNA)

Digital transformation, now a global trend, faces significant hurdles in Vietnam's agriculture sector, according to Dang Duy Hien, Deputy Director of the Centre for Digital Transformation and Agricultural Statistics under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development.

Vietnam currently ranks 63^rd out of 113 countries in digital transformation, with over 50% of its population holding electronic payment accounts and the digital economy contributing 20% to the GDP.

However, the agriculture sector is facing several barriers.

Key challenges include underdeveloped information technology infrastructure and fragmented data and information systems. Additionally, there is a lack of coordination and integration among agencies and organisations, as well as limited digital skills within the agricultural workforce. The high costs associated with digital transformation are further exacerbated by the absence of substantial support mechanisms and policies.

Le Thanh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of crop production, said agriculture is one of the eight priority sectors for digital transformation in Vietnam. The goal is to have 80% of agricultural data developed and updated on a big data platform by 2025.

Since 2018, the crop production sector has been developing a digital transformation concept to monitor and report production activities. This initiative has involved piloting and refining various versions of the Rice Monitoring and Reporting System (RiceMoRe).

By the end of 2024, RiceMoRe is expected to be expanded to 28 cities and provinces and integrate into the ministry’s foundational database. This integration aims to facilitate data sharing with its departments, streamlining the monitoring and reporting processes.