Digital transformation: Leverage to modernize Thai Nguyen livestock industry

Identifying digital transformation as a key task, the Thai Nguyen livestock industry is taking strategic steps to restructure towards efficiency, safety and sustainability.

In recent years, livestock farming has become one of the key sectors of Thai Nguyen's agriculture and environment sector, contributing nearly half of the total value of the industry. However, in response to the requirements of improving quality, controlling biosafety and meeting increasingly stringent markets, Thai Nguyen has been proactively implementing digital transformation as a key solution to innovate the growth model, gradually forming a modern and professional livestock farming industry.

Nguyen Hong Phong's 36,000-head farm in Nam Hoa commune. Photo: Quang Linh.

From empirical farming to automation

Digital transformation in livestock farming has been implemented in Thai Nguyen in many stages: breeding management, growth monitoring, feed control, disease monitoring, waste treatment and traceability. Many farms in the province have applied automatic sensors, herd management software systems, and 24/7 surveillance cameras, thereby reducing labor costs, improving productivity and ensuring biosecurity.

In fact, digital technology application models have helped reduce 20-30% of livestock farming costs, while increasing output and product quality. A typical example is the high-tech chicken farm of Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong (Nam Hoa commune) which is becoming a bright spot of innovation in the local livestock industry.

With a total investment of nearly 10 billion VND, the farm consists of 4 closed barns, each containing about 9,000 chickens, with a total flock of up to 36,000 chickens per litter. This is the first high-tech model of the Northern Branch of CP Vietnam Livestock Joint Stock Company deployed in Thai Nguyen, with an almost complete level of automation.

Automated livestock farming process helps Mr. Nguyen Hong Phong save costs. Photo: Quang Linh.

From feeding, watering, mixing medicine, adjusting temperature to managing the barn environment, all are operated by a central sensor and control system. Thanks to that, only 4 workers can manage the entire farm, reducing more than half of the labor compared to the traditional method.

Previously, feeding chickens with bran was laborious: workers had to carry each bag of bran, divide it into troughs, and it was easy to spill and lose. Now, just load the bran into the warehouse, and the system will automatically lead it to each trough with precise quantity. Thanks to that, the amount of feed is distributed evenly, without loss, contributing to significantly improving the feed conversion ratio (FCR).

Previously, to increase 1kg of chicken weight, it took 1.75kg of feed, now it only takes 1.6-1.65kg. With each chicken weighing an average of 3.5kg, the farm saves about 0.35kg of feed, equivalent to more than 4,000 VND/chicken. Calculating for the entire flock of 36,000 chickens, the cost savings reach about 144 million VND per litter, an impressive result.

Not only food, water and supplements are also provided automatically thanks to the pressure sensor system and central medicine dispenser, helping to ensure that chickens always drink clean water, in the right dosage, while completely eliminating errors from manual methods.

In addition to technical advances, the farm also strictly applies biosecurity procedures: controlling people entering and leaving, disinfecting vehicles, and disinfecting areas where food and products are received. Since applying the new procedures, the farm has never recorded any serious disease outbreaks.

In addition, the farm also utilizes agricultural by-products to create biological buffer zones by combining the use of microbial preparations, which has brought many benefits to farmers.

The farm is always guaranteed biosecurity. Photo: Quang Linh.

The government accompanies, creating a solid foundation

Thai Nguyen not only mobilizes and encourages, but also directly directs the functional sector to develop a plan for digital transformation of the livestock industry associated with each production area. Organizing the thematic conference on innovation and digital transformation in livestock farming in March 2025 is an important step, demonstrating synchronous and drastic participation.

The province is also implementing smart livestock models in some key areas such as Nam Hoa, Dong Hy, Phu Binh... with the support of technology enterprises. The goal by 2030 is that 100% of medium and large-scale farms will apply digital technology; at least 70% of livestock products will be traceable.

To promote the sustainable digital transformation process, in addition to local initiative, it is necessary to have support in terms of mechanisms, finance, and resources from the central government and international organizations. At the same time, the development of a digital transformation ecosystem for the livestock industry requires close links between management agencies, scientists, technology enterprises, and farmers.

Digital transformation is not only a trend, but also an inevitable path for Thai Nguyen's livestock industry to transform and catch up with the development of modern agriculture.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/chuyen-doi-so-don-bay-hien-dai-hoa-nganh-chan-nuoi-thai-nguyen-d782601.html