Mechanisation in agricultural production will help Vietnam become one of the top ten leading agricultural processing hubs in the world by 2050, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said on August 24.

The deputy minister was speaking at AGRITECHNICA ASIA Live 2022, which covers agricultural developments and technology in the region.

Nam said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was promulgating a decree which would be a legal basis for the development of mechanisation in agriculture.

Agritechnica Asia Live 2022 was held in the Mekong Delta - a key agricultural production area of Vietnam.

In addition to promoting mechanisation in the agricultural sector, it was also important to improve links in agricultural production, processing and consumption, he said.

Currently, the number and types of machinery and equipment for agricultural production are increasing rapidly in Vietnam. Specifically, between 2011 and 2021, the number of tractors of all kinds increased by 60%, water pumping equipment 60%, combine harvesters 80%, and tools for drying agricultural products 30%.

Machines for feed production increased 91%, aqua feed processing increased by 2.2 times and those for spraying pesticides increased by 3.5 times.

"Mechanisation is now available at all stages from tillage, fertilisation, irrigation, harvesting and post-harvest technology," Nam said.

The whole country now has about 7,800 mechanical enterprises, more than 270 scientific research organisations and 538,700 mechanical workers. There are more than 4,000 agricultural co-operatives working with 1,867 enterprises in the agricultural production, processing and consumption of agricultural products.

Bui Van Kip, Senior Advisor from the Plant Science Branch of Bayer Vietnam, said that using drones in agricultural production was vivid evidence of agricultural mechanisation in Vietnam.

"Many studies show the effectiveness of drones in farming, increasing productivity and quality of agricultural products. One of the best-known benefits is the reduction of direct human contact in pesticide spraying," he said.

However, it was necessary to build a digital technology platform to help connect farmers with the network of service providers, particularly in collecting data during operation, analysing and developing smart applications in the future, he said.

Specifically, improved drug residue management, pest forecasting, pest control and management would help farmers make effective use of the features and optimise costs when using drones, Kip said.

Ngo Van Dong, General Director of the Binh Dien Fertiliser Joint Stock Company, said the company is determined to promote sustainable agriculture methods through the application of smart farming solutions including mechanisation and digitalisation in agricultural production.

The company wanted to create an opportunity for Vietnamese farmers to quickly and effectively access modern domestic and international technologies when it participated in mechanisation events, Dong said.

He expected that the scale of agricultural application 4.0 and smart solutions and technologies would be expanded in Vietnam.

Vu Trong Thang, Deputy Head of the Credit Policy Department of Agribank, said that the bank was offering loans in seven policy credit programmes and two national target programmes.

"To create favourable conditions for investment in expanding production and applying mechanisation, Agribank has accelerated the implementation of many credit programmes and signed agreements with agricultural machinery groups such as India's Tata or Japan's Yanmar and Kubota," he said.

Through those agreements, it had contributed to realising the Government's policy on agricultural modernisation, focusing on the development of agricultural mechanisation, and high-tech agricultural investment, he said.

AGRITECHNICA ASIA Live 2022 is organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the German Agricultural Society (DLG) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) from August 24 to 26 in the southern city of Can Tho.

It is expected to attract about 4,000 domestic and international visitors. The event includes activities like a demonstration of production practices, technology and agricultural machines in the field; exhibition of innovative and sustainable technologies, machines and solutions in the fields of cultivation, animal husbandry, aquaculture, forestry, post-harvest handling and processing of agricultural and food products.

Typical One Commune, One Product (OCOP) products of the Mekong Delta region are also shown at the event. Participants can also attend international forums and workshops on mechanisation, smart agriculture, and sustainable production.

This is an important event bearing the imprint of the Agriculture and Rural Development Industry in 2022 to promote sustainable agricultural farming through the application of advanced and modern technology solutions./.