Dang Duong Minh Hoang pioneers in 'digital agriculture'

After graduating with a master's degree in Automatic Control in France, Hoang returned to agriculture, including growing avocados and developing the "Ong Hoang Avocado" brand to reach markets in many countries around the world.

Head of the National Luong Dinh Cua Network Dang Duong Minh Hoang. Photo: baobinhphuoc.com.vn

Digitalization in agriculture

As a child, Dang Duong Minh Hoang was attached to the fields and gardens, so he understood the situation of "selling his face to the land, selling his back to the sky". From then on, the dream of changing his circumstances urged Hoang to constantly strive, achieving many high achievements in study and work.

Mr. Dang Duong Minh Hoang shared that in the past, his family mainly cultivated rubber and pepper in the traditional way, so their income was unstable. After his father suddenly passed away, he decided to pursue farming.

After studying and working in France, Mr. Dang Duong Minh Hoang applied science and technology to bring his family's agricultural products to new heights. Mr. Hoang aims to start a smart agricultural business, mostly using automation to increase product productivity and efficiency in management. He established Thien Nong Farm with 50 hectares, of which 30 hectares are rubber, 8 hectares are pepper and 12 hectares are avocado; with the business motto "products from the farm go directly to consumers without going through intermediaries".

Currently, Thien Nong Farm is applying high technology and techniques to agricultural production such as: automatic irrigation using the Internet of Things, rooftop solar power, camera surveillance system for the entire garden, drones spraying pesticides to prevent and treat diseases for rubber, AutoAgri electronic diary to trace the origin through labels/QR codes, showing full information about the product. It is from the application of the most modern technology in production that the brand "Ong Hoang Avocado" and Organic pepper of Thien Nong Farm have met VietGAP standards, present in supermarkets in many provinces and major cities in the country and abroad.

Along with that, Mr. Hoang also implemented a digital model for each plant. Each plant is a website, an electronic diary, a source of self-produced organic fertilizer. His output products are distributed on traditional supermarket channels and e-commerce platforms with clear traceability.

“Currently, Thien Nong Farm is collaborating with the Department of Science and Technology of Binh Phuoc province to create a gamification model - adopting each Avocado tree, aiming to build a smart crop management system based on the Internet of Things platform and mobile application to develop a model of adopting Avocado trees and other fruit trees, contributing to the completion of the new smart cooperative economic model and increasing the value of agricultural production in Binh Phuoc province. This is to automate the process of cultivating, identifying and adopting Avocado trees, which will be one of the steps to create momentum to bring experimental agriculture to the majority of people, promoting regional economic development”, Mr. Hoang shared.

Thien Nong Farm not only brings economic value thanks to digitalization in agricultural production but also creates regular jobs for local workers. Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Phu Van Commune (Bu Gia Map District, Binh Phuoc Province) Le Ngoc Dao said that Dang Duong Minh Hoang's model pioneered the application of technology in agriculture, bringing efficiency to the locality. The model also creates regular jobs for 35 workers, mainly ethnic minorities in the area.

Mr. Hoang's digital model in agriculture has initially achieved certain successes. He is often invited to teach and share at seminars on digitalization in agriculture. Realizing the need to share with the community, he established the Binh Phuoc Digital Agricultural Service Cooperative.

He, along with Mr. Tran Quoc Duy, Director of the Center for Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion of Binh Phuoc Province, Advisor of the National Luong Dinh Cua Network and businesswoman Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuc, Chairman of Bagico Company (Bac Giang Province) met and mobilized outstanding young farmers inside and outside Binh Phuoc Province to join hands to establish the Binh Phuoc Digital Agricultural Service Cooperative. In which, Mr. Hoang took on the role of Director of the Cooperative.

Mr. Hoang shared that the purpose of establishing the Cooperative is for people to exchange and share about techniques and digital technology in agriculture; support farmers in transferring technology and building their own brands. Along with that, the Cooperative ensures stable output for farmers' agricultural products.

Currently, Binh Phuoc Digital Agricultural Services Cooperative has 12 official members. All members of the Cooperative are instructed in using AutoAgri software. Agricultural products from members must be cared for according to a common process, ensuring consistency in quality.

Mr. Tran Quoc Duy commented that, in his role as Director of Binh Phuoc Digital Agricultural Service Cooperative, Hoang has proactively participated in conferences and seminars connecting trade with domestic and foreign enterprises, contributing to promoting the image of Binh Phuoc agricultural products and finding contacts to help some farmers and businesses find outlets for local agricultural products.

Inspiring startups

Dang Duong Minh Hoang has pioneered the application of digital technology in management and connecting supply and demand in agriculture. Hoang is also the Chairman of the national Luong Dinh Cua Network, participating in many activities to support, connect and promote youth startups in the agricultural sector.

Mr. Tran Quoc Duy shared that when participating in conferences and seminars abroad, Dang Duong Minh Hoang took every opportunity to promote the image of Vietnam in general and Binh Phuoc in particular; especially the image of local agricultural products to foreign delegates and enterprises. In addition, in his role as Chairman of the national Luong Dinh Cua Network, Hoang actively connected members of the Network and Binh Phuoc enterprises with domestic and foreign enterprises and partners to seek opportunities for business cooperation, product and service consumption and sustainable development.

According to Secretary of Binh Phuoc Provincial Youth Union Tran Hoang Truc, Dang Duong Minh Hoang is a shining example for the younger generation to follow, a talented, dynamic and enthusiastic young man, with great contributions to the startup movement of Binh Phuoc province's youth in particular and the country's youth in general. Hoang's startup models are a destination for many young people in and outside the province to visit and learn. Hoang regularly shares experiences, knowledge and supports young people to start businesses through seminars, training courses, direct consultation, etc. With his contributions, Dang Duong Minh Hoang has made an important contribution to promoting the startup movement of Binh Phuoc province's youth, creating more jobs and improving people's lives.

Hoang has won many awards such as: Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer Award 2022 of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union; Luong Dinh Cua Award 2021; Title of "Outstanding Young Vietnamese Family" 2022 of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union; First Prize of the "Green Startup Wings" Contest 2022; "Choose France, Choose Success" Award 2022 of the French Consulate General, to honor former Vietnamese students returning from France and succeeding in the field of sustainable agriculture; "Sustainable agriculture and food security" organized by the Asian Development Bank in 2022; Top 11 high-quality agricultural products, typical of Binh Phuoc province...

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/xa-hoi/dang-duong-minh-hoang-tien-phong-voi-nong-nghiep-so-20240321085112595.htm