Ca Mau promotes digital transformation in industry and agriculture

In Ca Mau, in the workshops of the Ca Mau Fertilizer Plant and in the rice fields of Vinh My, smart machines replace manual work, data is updated in real time and production decisions become more accurate.

When factories run on data

Ca Mau Fertilizer Plant is becoming one of the rare models in the Mekong Delta region that has proactively upgraded towards a "smart factory". Although according to international standards, the unit has only reached level 2 in automation, the digital transformation roadmap is being vigorously implemented to move towards an integrated factory and even higher, an autonomous factory.

Ca Mau Petroleum Fertilizer Joint Stock Company announced the completion of phase 1 of the "Smart Factory" project.

On October 1, in Khanh An, Ca Mau Petroleum Fertilizer Joint Stock Company announced the completion of phase 1 of the "Smart Factory" project. Thanks to the synchronized data connection system, the entire production process is continuously updated, helping the management board grasp the factory's operations in real time without having to rely on direct reports on the field.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tam, Head of Digital Transformation, said that the new system significantly reduces subjective errors due to human intervention, increasing the accuracy in operational command. Data collected from hundreds of monitoring points in the chain allows the factory to analyze performance, forecast risks and optimize energy consumption.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tung, Deputy General Director, when reaching level 3, the factory integrates, the database of all production activities is gathered into a single monitoring platform, helping to make decisions faster. Thanks to that, the factory's productivity has increased by more than 110% after the new system was put into operation, while production costs have been significantly reduced.

Based on an increasingly complete data platform, the factory is preparing for the next step: deploying artificial intelligence in analysis; building smart warehouses; and moving towards a Digital Twin factory model to simulate and test all operating scenarios. According to technical leaders, digital transformation is not only about upgrading machinery but also creating a new working environment, forcing engineers and workers to change their thinking in a more proactive and creative direction.

Ca Mau rice fields also go digital

In Vinh My commune, since 2022, a "smart pest monitoring network" system has been installed in the fields of Thanh Son Agricultural Service Cooperative. The light traps operate 24 hours a day, attracting pests and sending data to a phone application to analyze the pest density.

Pests will be attracted by the light, helping to assess density and impact in the area.

Mr. Tran Van Ngo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the cooperative, said that since the system was installed, farmers no longer have to guess the pest situation as before. When the number of insects exceeds the warning threshold, notifications are immediately sent to the phone, helping farmers proactively spray pesticides at the right time and in the right amount. Thanks to that, the number of sprays per crop has been significantly reduced, saving costs and protecting the environment better.

Smart traps can distinguish between pests and natural enemies, and record factors such as wind and rainfall to predict risks. After three years of application, the cooperative's rice fields have no longer recorded widespread outbreaks of brown planthoppers. The captured insects are even used as food for fish raised in farmers' ponds.

According to Ms. Ngo Thi Thuy Linh, Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of the province, the smart trap system allows farmers to update the situation of the fields at any time via phone, effectively supplementing the traditional field visits. The clearly analyzed numbers help farmers avoid overusing pesticides and reduce production costs.

In addition to the pest monitoring system, the agricultural weather bulletin is also becoming a familiar tool for many Ca Mau farmers. From the end of 2023, the bulletin will be sent to cooperatives and cooperatives via Zalo messages, providing detailed weather forecasts and recommendations throughout the month. The information is accompanied by illustrative images, easy to see and easy to apply in actual production.

Mr. Nguyen Van Nghia, a member of the Hong Phat Cooperative in Vinh Thanh, said that in the past, people often relied on experience or scattered information to decide when to sow and care for rice. Since the agricultural weather report was released, production schedules have been more proactive, avoiding risks due to unusual weather, increasing economic efficiency on each hectare of land.

According to engineer Do Ai My, a member of the bulletin development team, applying the agricultural bulletin each season helps farmers save from 100,000 to 200,000 VND per hectare of land thanks to reduced materials and limited incidents caused by climate change. The provincial Hydrometeorological Station said that in the coming time, the unit will increase the frequency of the bulletin and add emergency bulletins when there is unusual weather. In addition, the bulletin is also recorded to be broadcast over loudspeakers for the elderly who do not use smartphones.

Looking at the story of Ca Mau Fertilizer Plant and the technology application models in Vinh My or Vinh Thanh, it can be seen that digital transformation in Ca Mau is not just a matter of expensive industrial chains. Automatic planthopper traps, agricultural news sent via Zalo or digital monitoring systems are all helping farmers master their crops with data, no longer completely dependent on word-of-mouth experience.

Enterprises like Ca Mau Fertilizer are entering the production phase based on data and core technology platforms, enhancing competitiveness in the heavy industry. Digital transformation has been creating new momentum for both industry and agriculture in Ca Mau./.

Center for Science and Technology Communication

Source: https://mst.gov.vn/ca-mau-thuc-day-chuyen-doi-so-trong-cong-nghiep-va-nong-nghiep-197251129215203776.htm