Opening up breakthrough opportunities for agriculture in the Mekong Delta.

In the context of the Mekong Delta being impacted by climate change, experts believe that applying advanced technology will not only help the Mekong Delta's agricultural sector increase productivity and product quality, but also create a sustainable value chain. The transition to smart agriculture promises to create a breakthrough in the region's sustainable and prosperous agricultural development.

An inevitable trend

According to experts and scientists, the Mekong Delta has affirmed its strategic position as one of the most important delta regions in agricultural production, with outstanding products such as rice, fruits, and seafood. However, the Mekong Delta is also facing unprecedented challenges such as the serious impacts of climate change, increasingly complex drought and salinity intrusion, and land degradation during cultivation.

Application of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in agricultural production in Can Tho City.

Associate Professor Tran Trung Tinh, Rector of Can Tho University, stated: Traditional agricultural production models have revealed many limitations and are no longer sufficient to meet the urgent demands for food security, sustainable development, and increased value in the global supply chain, especially in terms of competitiveness with neighboring countries. In this context, developing smart agriculture is not only an inevitable trend but also a strategic solution to ensure a safe and sustainable food supply, effectively adapt to climate change, and enhance international competitiveness. This is the inevitable path for the Mekong Delta to maximize its potential and make a worthy contribution to the overall development of the country.

Sharing this view, Associate Professor Dr. Le Van Vang, Rector of the School of Agriculture, Can Tho University, stated that while traditional production cannot meet the goals of sustainable development, smart agriculture has opened up a new direction. Smart agriculture increases production efficiency, reduces labor force, and adapts well to climate change. Smart agriculture is agriculture that applies advanced technologies such as Big Data, IoT (Internet of Things), GPS (Global Positioning System), AI (Artificial Intelligence), etc., to production on an integrated basis, following smart production methods, ensuring efficiency and meeting the requirements of sustainable development.

Expectations for a breakthrough.

In the trend of digital transformation, the Mekong Delta is applying artificial intelligence and drones in agricultural production to help farmers reduce costs and increase productivity. A significant step forward is the national Digital Twin (DT) project for smart agriculture in the Mekong Delta.

Digital twins are increasingly being used by cities around the world as a development tool. CT Group has developed the 15-layer National Digital Twin (DT15) based on the integration of many new technologies. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Director of the National Digital Twin (DT15) project at CT Group, said: The National Digital Twin has 36 features for smart agriculture such as simulating crop and yield forecasts; early detection of pests and diseases; smart traceability of agricultural products... Applications such as AI, UAV, IoT, and satellite imagery are used to monitor crops, plant health, optimize irrigation and fertilization, provide interdisciplinary data for land planning, water management, and ensure sustainable food security. This will lead to a boom in smart agriculture in the Mekong Delta in the near future, reducing input costs and increasing productivity by tens of times. Accordingly, farmers benefit from higher incomes, less strenuous work, fewer risks, and the ability to prosper on their land, contributing to a green transformation. At the same time, the government has accurate data for planning, disaster response, environmental management, and brand building.

“The DT15 project, with over 200 features, helps transform the Mekong Delta into a major smart agricultural center for the region and the world, successfully building a model of cooperation between the government, businesses, and farmers. This will create a comprehensive smart agricultural value chain,” affirmed Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thanh Binh.

Mr. Tran Kim Chung, Chairman of CT Group, stated: “Can Tho University is the key to knowledge and technology; therefore, we are collaborating to bring the latest technologies, such as the National Digital Copy, to agricultural applications in the Mekong Delta. We are committed to dedicating all our efforts to implementing the DT15 project, the National Digital Copy in the Mekong Delta, as a catalyst for smart agriculture. This is the foundation for developing smart agriculture on a completely new scale.”

Promising to create a breakthrough for the development of smart and modern agriculture in the Mekong Delta region, CT Group and Can Tho University have signed several strategic cooperation agreements. Associate Professor Tran Trung Tinh shared: "As the training and research center of the region, we are committed to the State-University-Enterprise cooperation model. In particular, the strategic relationship with CT Group opens up many new avenues such as training high-quality human resources, collaborative research and technology transfer, development of UAVs - agricultural robots, semiconductors, carbon credits, and innovation with AI. This is the foundation for forming new training programs, connecting students with practice, and supporting the development of human resources for the entire region." Simultaneously, Can Tho University has also developed a specific roadmap for training high-quality human resources for smart and high-tech agriculture.

Text and photos: T. TRINH

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/mo-huong-dot-pha-cho-nong-nghiep-dbscl-a191325.html