Duc Chinh Cooperative on the journey of bringing digital transformation to agriculture

In Tue Tinh commune (Hai Phong city), Duc Chinh Agricultural Service Cooperative is gradually applying technology and digital transformation into production.

These changes help save costs, reduce labor and increase income for members, especially with key crops such as carrots.

Members of Duc Chinh Agricultural Service Cooperative harvest vegetables in Tue Tinh field. Photo: Lan Chi.

Watering and fertilizing with just… the push of a button

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuat, Director of Duc Chinh Agricultural Service Cooperative, this land has been associated with carrots for nearly 40 years. Thanks to suitable soil conditions and support from businesses, carrots used to be a "rich crop" for Duc Chinh farmers, then spread to many other localities when people rented land for production in Bac Ninh, Thai Binh , Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Vinh Phuc...

However, after many years of continuous cultivation, the soil has gradually become infertile, climate change, complex diseases, and increased costs of fertilizer and labor have forced the cooperative to consider diversifying crops and applying technology to maintain economic efficiency.

“Faced with new challenges, if we only do things the old way, it will be very difficult to maintain income for people. Duc Chinh is forced to change, from crop structure to working methods, in which technology and digital transformation are inevitable directions,” Mr. Thuat shared.

One of the most obvious applications of technology is the remote-controlled irrigation system in the crop growing areas. Instead of having to go to the fields to open valves, pull pipes, and watch each row, many cooperative members now only need to press the control button or set the automatic irrigation mode.

“There are fields several kilometers away from home, previously people had to get up early in the morning to pump water. Now, all they need to do is turn on the control device and the misting and osmosis system will operate, saving water, time and labor,” said Mr. Thuat.

Smart irrigation equipment also allows fertilizers and nutrients to be mixed into irrigation water, helping plants to be "fed" more evenly, reducing loss and waste. For crops that require stable humidity such as carrots or sweet corn, automatic irrigation technology helps limit localized waterlogging and drought, thereby improving productivity and quality.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuat, Director of Duc Chinh Agricultural Service Cooperative, guides members in packaging and supports farmers in harvesting vegetables in the fields. Photo: Lan Chi.

Currently, according to Mr. Thuat, remote control irrigation systems have become "common" in Duc Chinh, no longer something strange. Older farmers can use their own remote control, while young people can connect via phone, setting the irrigation time and duration according to the needs of each field.

Notably, in Tue Tinh commune, the elderly cooperative members still account for a high proportion. In order to not leave people "behind", the government and the Cooperative regularly organize training, seminars, and "hand-holding" right in the fields.

“At first, many men and women were afraid of technology, but after being guided step by step and seeing their neighbors using water effectively, economically, and with less effort, they gradually got used to it,” Mr. Thuat shared.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich, Dich Trang village, Tue Tinh commune, said that her family has been growing carrots for many years and recently started growing chili peppers and some vegetables following the technical instructions from the Cooperative. The application of technology, especially the remote-controlled irrigation system and cultivation processes guided through training, helps people more easily take care of and prevent pests and diseases.

Changing seasons thanks to technology and digital transformation

Thanks to the application of irrigation technology, mechanization and increased digital connectivity, farmers' production costs have decreased significantly, especially labor and irrigation water costs.

With chili for export, the model has been tested for about 4 years recently and is being officially implemented by farmers in the field, initially bringing in about 13-15 million VND/sao per crop, with good prices even higher in some years, even surpassing carrots. However, farmers are still cautious, so the Cooperative must do it gradually, have an effective model before expanding, to avoid risks for farmers.

“Digital transformation in agriculture in Tue Tinh commune is not a big deal, but each remote-controlled irrigation device, each technical Zalo group, each field diary is a small step to help farmers take more control of the production process, reducing dependence on weather and old habits,” Mr. Thuat shared.

The chili export growing model has been tested for about 4 years now and is being officially implemented by farmers in Duc Chinh fields, initially bringing in an income of about 13-15 million VND/sao per crop. Photo: Xuan Phuong .

In the coming time, Duc Chinh Agricultural Service Cooperative aims to continue expanding the application of technology in irrigation, fertilization, and pest monitoring; strengthen links with domestic and foreign institutes, schools, and businesses to build a safe agricultural product value chain with traceability, targeting the export market.

“The cooperative hopes that every technical advance and every digital transformation step will become a specific income for the people, helping them feel secure in sticking with the fields and doing agriculture but still have a stable life and strive to become well-off,” Mr. Nguyen Duc Thuat affirmed.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/hop-tac-xa-duc-chinh-tren-hanh-trinh-dua-chuyen-doi-so-vao-nong-nghiep-d786744.html