Some reflections on hi-tech application for agriculture development in Vietnam - Experiences and lessons learnt from China

Abstract

In recent years, along with the strong development of industry, agriculture has also achieved new advances in respect of higher productivity and yield. However, our agricultural products have not yet had high competitiveness in terms of value and quality. Like developed countries, many countries in Asia are moving from quantitative towards hi-tech based qualitative agriculture through the application of biotechnology, automation technology, mechanization, informatics… to produce agricultural products with high productivity, high value and quality, safe and effective. In reality, however, the turnover value gained from export of agro-products of Vietnam was still very low. The fundamental cause of this was becauce most of agricultural commodities of Vietnam had been using outdated production technologies, exporting in raw form or, in other words, just supplying raw material for foreign companies to further process it into higher value items. It is therefore, technology innovation in agricultural development in combination with high-tech application in agriculture is the right direction for Vietnam to increase productivity, quality and value of agricultural products.