Digital transformation - The "key" to improving local agricultural products

Son La has long been known as the "agricultural granary" of the Northwest region, with countless famous specialties such as Yen Chau mango, Phu Yen orange, Song Ma longan, Hau plum, Moc Chau avocado... The diverse terrain and favorable climate have created ideal conditions for the development of many types of crops, bringing Son La four seasons of flowers and fruits.

However, the sad reality is that the output of agricultural products is still unstable, depending largely on traders and market demand. Ms. Lo Thi Bun (Van Ho commune, Son La) shared: "Currently, agricultural products are mainly purchased by traders, so prices are unstable. In years when there is a good harvest and a lot of agricultural products, traders find ways to squeeze and lower product prices, so whether the harvest is bad or good, farmers have their own hardships."

Transformation through digital technology

In recent years, along with the explosion of information technology, many Son La farmers have quickly grasped the trend, proactively applying digital platforms and digital technology to agricultural production and consumption activities. This not only helps improve productivity and product quality but also contributes to promoting the digital transformation process throughout the province.

A typical example is the story of Ms. Xa Thi Tham (27 years old, Mong ethnic group, Van Ho commune). With more than 3 hectares of fruit trees and clean vegetables, Ms. Tham and her husband used to have to work hard to wake up early to transport vegetables to the market to deliver to traders, accept being forced to lower prices and not always selling out. "Although our vegetables are fresh and delicious, the prices are forced down and we cannot always sell out," Ms. Tham said.

Chuyển đổi số - — *Son La has long been known as the "agricultural granary" of the Northwest region. Photo: Minh Thu*

In 2023, realizing the trend of online sales via social networks, Ms. Tham and her husband boldly learned and followed suit. With just a smartphone, Ms. Tham took pictures of fresh agricultural products and posted them on online sales groups, tourist areas and food service pages to introduce the products.

"Now I no longer have to struggle to carry vegetables to the market. In the morning, I just need to harvest, pack according to the order, and wait for the shipping company to pick them up," Tham happily shared. "Previously, the goods were only sold to a few acquaintances at the market near my house. Now, customers are all the way in the city, and many people even place regular orders. I sell them myself and set my own prices based on the quality of the products, so I am no longer forced to pay higher prices by traders."

Accompanying farmers in digital transformation

Digital transformation in agriculture is identified as a key solution to improve production efficiency, improve product quality and increase farmers' income. To promote this process, all levels and sectors in Son La province have been promoting and improving knowledge about digital transformation for people.

Many training courses have been organized to equip people with skills in using computers, smartphones, the Internet and especially online sales skills. The Department of Industry and Trade and Farmers' Associations at all levels have actively implemented these activities.

Since the beginning of the year, functional sectors in the province have continued to promote support for e-commerce development, application of information technology and digital transformation in trade promotion.

Notably, Son La has coordinated with the Department of E-commerce and Digital Economy - Ministry of Industry and Trade to build the Son La E-commerce Platform (www.sonla.sanviet.vn), integrating it into the Unified E-commerce Platform (Sanviet.vn).

Currently, the floor has 40 enterprises, cooperatives and 60 products selected and listed on the floor. The information page introducing products, enterprises, and cooperatives of Son La province (https://agritradepage.vn) is also maintained in 3 languages: Vietnamese - English - Chinese.

From 2021 to present, the Department of Industry and Trade of Son La has organized 11 training courses on e-commerce, livestream skills, and digital video content creation for hundreds of businesses, cooperatives, and business households. At the same time, it has supported 40 businesses and cooperatives with 60 products to participate in the Son La e-commerce platform.

To date, the province has 27 accounts on the nongsan.buudien.vn platform with 197 products posted on the e-commerce platform. Agricultural data has also been digitized with 205 growing area codes, 11 packaging facility codes, 195 electronic diaries on Farmdiary.online and 11 accounts on the crop industry system, contributing to improving traceability and transparency of product information.

With the active support from the authorities and the bold and decisive spirit of the people, many Son La farmers have applied digital technology to all aspects of agricultural production. In addition, the proactive construction of electronic sales channels, connecting with businesses to build online brand identities (website, email, fanpage...) has also been promoted.

Thanks to these efforts, the proportion of medium and large-scale farm households applying digital technology in livestock production, the proportion of agricultural cooperatives with e-commerce activities and smart agriculture applications, as well as the proportion of agricultural production households using e-commerce are increasing.

Farmers are trained and educated in applying digital technology in agricultural production and the way to promote and sell products online is also becoming more and more popular, creating strong momentum for the digital transformation process in Son La province.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/chuyen-doi-so-chia-khoa-nang-tam-nong-san-dia-phuong-2025072710220218.htm