Enfarm Agritech introduces its smart fertiliser IoT set at the Open Innovation Day - TechTraverse 2023 exhibition held in HCM City from October 25 to 26. — Photo courtesy of Enfarm Agritech
The smart fertiliser developed by Enfarm Agritech can potentially help farmers reduce fertiliser costs and increase yields by up to 20 per cent, Nguyễn Đỗ Dũng, chairman of the company, said.
The technology can help farmers ensure sustainable agricultural production amid soaring fertiliser prices, Dũng said during a discussion called "Smart Agriculture & Food Industry" on the sidelines of the Open Innovation Day - TechTraverse 2023 Exhibition held in HCM City from October 25 to 26.
The company’s mission is to revolutionise the country’s agriculture industry with technology, he said.
While fertilisers can help increase crop yields by up to 40 per cent, it takes up a third of total production cost.
In Việt Nam, it is estimated that 6.6 million tonnes of fertiliser is unabsorbed annually, causing both monetary wastage and environmental harm.
“Reducing the amount of fertiliser that is wasted or ineffectively applied by farmers helps to reduce the amount of harmful substances that go into the soil, lessening the harmful impacts of agricultural practices on the environment,” Dũng said.
In July, the company signed a partnership agreement with the Central Highlands Agro-Forestry Science and Technology Institute (WASI) to introduce its smart fertiliser IoT set to coffee farmers in the region.
It collaborates closely with WASI to further experiment on the effectiveness of the product, and promotes and distributes this technology to coffee farmers in the region.
Any farmer can master agricultural techniques, capture market signals to increase income from their land, and develop more sustainable farming practices.
The technology leverages sensors and IoT to monitor soil conditions and determine the appropriate amount of fertiliser required for coffee plantations.
It also determines the amount of irrigation water to suit each soil type; incorporates insights on weather, price forecasting, pest and disease diagnosis; and answers farmers’ questions using artificial intelligence.
The Open Innovation Day - TechTraverse 2023 exhibition aimed at sustainable development was directed by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The event was co-organised by the National Agency for Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Development, Zestif Vietnam, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry’s State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, the Open Innovation Institute and Technology Entrepreneurship, Saigontel, Asian Development Bank and other partners.
Its goal is to attract international resources and bring together forces to promote open innovation, and support testing and market development for innovative startups.
During the two-day event, domestic and international experts shared about digital transformation trends, green transformation and sustainable development in the finance and banking sector, logistics, e-commerce, marine economy, agriculture, and food technology. — VNS