The professor said that deploying agriculture 4.0 in Vietnam will not be simple because there are still a series of challenges, both objective and subjective. Climate change, soil conditions, and farming practices are typical.
"Before deciding to do 4.0, we must see now that the climate is erratic, the weather is uneven, the flood water is lower. The canals are tangled, making the land fragmented, making it difficult to apply mechanization in large fields" he said.
Taking the figure of 68% of rural residents using smartphones, Mr. Vo Tong Xuan said that many farmers are interested in accessing technology, but the thinking of production still retains the habit of old farmer experience.
"My farmer is very wealthy, spending a few million to buy smartphones is okay, but using it effectively is not another matter. I need more shallow bars, but it is difficult for the old-man force to repair and update new advances.
Farmers are also too free to plant, what they want to plant, what they can cut, they don't cooperate voluntarily, so every time there is a program or project, there must be a lot of advocacy ", he said.
According to the professor, over 40 years, the rice growing industry has been completely mechanized. The rice yield increased well, but the quality was not high. Breeding and fruit trees are developed but not stable due to increased pests and diseases. Export also increased but not stable, easy to "bounce". Therefore, thinking about agriculture 4.0 is also reasonable but there is a lot of work to be done.
According to the concept of the European Agricultural Machinery Association, agriculture 1.0 appeared in the early 20th century operating with a system of low productivity and labor consumption. Agriculture 2.0 was the green revolution in the 1950s.
Agriculture 3.0 took place since the 1990s with GPS applications, sensors, high mechanization. And recently, agriculture 4.0 was mentioned from the German definition of Industry 4.0.
For some experts and managers in Vietnam, the move towards agriculture 4.0 is needed to change the agricultural growth model still in the state of high volume - low value, land use efficiency and wealth. Raw not high. In addition, the world market is an opportunity to grasp.
"Vietnam has a strategic position in Southeast Asia to supply agricultural products to the region. In addition, we are next to a very large and easygoing market", said Dr. Doan Duy Khuong - Vice President Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) gives an example.