Yen Duong Cooperative: Pioneer in applying digital technology in agriculture

BBK - Yen Duong Cooperative (Ba Be) is gradually becoming a model agricultural cooperative, leading in sustainable agricultural development, applying high technology and building a value chain from production to consumption. The application of digital technology is the "golden key" to help innovate the model of farming, management and consumption of agricultural products for the cooperative.

Yen Duong Cooperative (Ba Be) has main product of fragrant squash.

Yen Duong, an agricultural commune in Ba Be district, has strengths in ecological agricultural production and services. Key products include rice, cassava, vegetables (squash), and traditional handicrafts and brocade weaving of the Dao and Tay ethnic groups.

Established in June 2018, Yen Duong Cooperative has contributed to consolidating and promoting sustainable agricultural production, restoring and developing the traditional values ​​of agricultural and forestry products. With the support of the government, the Cooperative has gradually affirmed its position, supported members in production and business activities, created jobs and increased income, contributing to the local socio -economic development.

To date, the cooperative has 20 official members, more than 500 associated households, creating jobs for 08 regular workers and 10-15 seasonal workers. The cooperative also links agricultural product consumption with 14 cooperatives, production household groups and 04 neighboring cooperatives, providing products such as pumpkin, cassava, and rice.

Yen Duong Cooperative applies digital transformation in interacting with partners and customers.

Yen Duong Cooperative has applied digital technology systematically such as: Using software to record electronic production logs for fragrant green squash, wild bitter melon, Tai sticky rice, and galangal. This software manages crops, fertilizers, pesticides, and monitors from planting, care, harvesting to inventory and distribution. This helps save costs, time, minimize manual paperwork, reduce loss and provide transparency of information for partners and consumers. The system also supports statistics and analysis for the cooperative management board to develop reasonable strategies.

In addition, the cooperative has built a GIS system that integrates information on geographical location, cultivated area, crop types, production processes, output, soil, climate and infrastructure. This system improves the efficiency of management and development of modern agricultural production, effectively serving production and business activities, traceability and geographical indications.

At the same time, Yen Duong Cooperative also focuses on digital transformation in introducing, promoting and selling agricultural products through e-commerce platforms such as Postmart, Sendo, Shopee, Zalo OA, Facebook; building fanpages, livestreaming sales, connecting with urban consumers. The Cooperative also applies digital technology to management and sales administration through document management systems, electronic invoices, electronic contracts, digital signatures. The use of social networks and basic AI tools (chatbots) helps to manage images, media content and communicate with customers quickly.

Applying digital technology has brought positive results to Yen Duong Cooperative, such as: Increasing productivity and reducing operating costs. Enhancing customer confidence thanks to transparent information. Expanding online sales channels, helping to increase production scale, product output, selling price and revenue by 10-20%. Specifically: Fragrant pumpkin reaches 500-700 tons/year, fragrant pumpkin tea 5-7 tons/year, dong vermicelli 55-70 tons/year, Tai sticky rice 30-50 tons/year. Average member income reaches 6.5 million VND/person/month.

Sharing about the challenges, Ms. Ma Thi Ninh, Director of Yen Duong Cooperative, said that the process of applying digital technology is still slow, investment resources are small, and technology level has not kept up with the trend. Conditions for accessing digital transformation are still limited, lacking electronic equipment with internet connection. The rate of well-trained management and trade promotion staff is still low. Digital transformation support policies for cooperatives are still limited, integrated, and lack uniformity. The cost of investing in technology and maintaining booths on e-commerce platforms is still high, and production management methods are still manual.

To realize the expectation of becoming a modern agricultural cooperative model, typical in the application of digital technology, Yen Duong Cooperative will continue to promote the construction and deployment of a comprehensive agricultural production management software system. Establish a geographic database (GIS) to manage raw material areas, cultivated areas, crop varieties, serve traceability, issue planting area codes and develop geographical indications. Digitize member data, financial records, contracts, production diaries. Connect with e-commerce platforms, build websites, fanpages, livestream to promote products to expand domestic and international markets. Apply AI in building content and images to promote brands. Continue to modernize production, management and business processes, contributing to improving productivity, product quality and competitiveness in the integration period./.

Bich Ngoc

Source: https://baobackan.vn/htx-yen-duong-tien-phong-ung-dung-cong-nghe-so-trong-nong-nghiep-post71583.html