Vietnamese information technology (IT) firms are aiming for higher
profits by focusing on a new sector, agricultural production, the
VietNamNet Bridge reported on June 13.
Viettel appears to be the
pioneer in providing IT solutions for agriculture production. Such
investment has brought 7 billion VND a month in revenue to the military
firm.
According to Bui Quang Huy, a Viettel senior executive,
Viettel has been running www.nhanong.com.vn , an information portal for
farmers for the last few years, which can bring 4 billion VND a month.
It
has also been providing information packages about farm produce prices,
warnings about epidemics and unfavourable weather, and giving analyses
of coffee, and cashew nut markets.
“We can earn 7 billion VND a
month from services in the agricultural sector, which is much higher
than revenue that game app suppliers can bring to us,” Huy said.
A
representative from Viettel said one of the biggest difficulties for
Viettel when developing IT apps for agriculture development is a lack of
staff with deep knowledge about agricultural production.
Viettel
recently helped an individual in Dak Lak utilize IT apps in his
production and business. The individual was in charge of the
professional knowledge, while Viettel was in charge of providing capital
and technology to implement the idea.
Viettel, with 56 million
mobile subscribers, including 10 million in the agriculture sector, has
advantages over other rivals in accessing clients in rural areas. It can
offer telecom fee reductions to clients who use IT solutions for the
community’s benefits.
IT firm Hanel has not introduced any IT
solutions or apps for the agriculture sector, but it has revealed its
intention to jump on the bandwagon.
Hanel’s CEO Nguyen Quoc Binh,
at a recent meeting with the National Assembly’s Deputy Chair Nguyen
Thi Kim Ngan, when talking about models and solutions for the country’s
modernisation, mentioned the “smart agriculture” model that is being
applied in many countries.
He said the development of smart agriculture needs active support from information technology.
Vietnam,
for example, needs IT solutions that help manage the food production
process, from breeding and slaughtering to sale at supermarkets.
Vietnam
also needs online trading floors that allow producers to make
transactions directly with clients, thus allowing them to cut expenses
on third parties.
It also needs IT solutions that help automate
the animal husbandry industry, irrigation management, pesticide spraying
and lighting.
“Vietnam is known as an agricultural economy, but
nearly all the activities have been done manually,” Binh noted. “Smart
agriculture remains a deserted land, where there are few IT solution
providers.”
Hanel has proposed that the Government think about a
reasonable mechanism to encourage investments in smart agriculture
through IT parks and science technology funds.
He suggested
that the Government order IT firms to conduct research to create a
common technological foundation for smart agriculture development.-VNA