Hanoi's agricultural sector embraces technology for safe food supply chains
Hanoi's agricultural sector embraces technology for safe food supply chains
The agricultural sector will continue to work with relevant agencies and telecommunications companies on a regular basis to organize training and provide guidance, knowledge and skills to agricultural enterprises.
Hanoi’s agricultural sector has been supporting production, processing, and supply chains of safe products by applying information technology for quality control and transparency, local insiders said.
Hanoi has been a champion for the use of a food traceability system. Photo: VNA |
As a safe vegetable producer certified according to VietGAP standards, Bui Thi Thanh Ha, director of the Thanh Ha Agriculture Cooperative (Thuong Tin District), said the cooperative has about 10,000 square meters of organic saplings. The cooperative has implemented a QR code to trace the origin of the product, including how it was produced, harvested and packaged. "This has built trust with consumers," she added.
Similarly, Tu Tam Trading and Food Processing Joint Stock Company (Thanh Xuan District), which sells more than 30 tons of processed food per month through supermarkets, clean food stores, and e-commerce platforms, uses QR codes for food traceability.
Dinh Thi Hai Yen, director of the company, said they have integrated information technology into food quality management from production to processing. Consumers can fully check the production and expiration dates, as well as the products' ingredients.
Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, director of the Hanoi Agro-Forestry and Fisheries Quality Management Sub-Department under the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said they had supported cooperatives and enterprises in developing the origin traceability system for agricultural, forestry, aquatic products, and food in Hanoi at the website https://check.hanoi.gov.vn.
She added that the system has provided management accounts to 3,430 entities, including cooperatives, producers and processing units, and packaging units, with 13,353 sets of origin traceability codes for their products.
"The use of information systems to manage safe and secure agricultural chains has helped cooperatives and businesses to transition from traditional to modern farming. In addition, the use of e-commerce platforms such as Facebook, Zalo and TikTok has facilitated direct links between producers and consumers," Hang said.
Training for digital knowledge and skills
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Nurturing seedlings at Thanh Ha Agricultural Production and Service Cooperative, Thuong Tin District. Photo: Lam Nguyen/ The Hanoi Times |
Despite the widespread use of information technology, most enterprises and cooperatives have not fully embraced digital transformation due to the lack of a comprehensive production database, limited transparency of product origin, and insufficient connectivity and information sharing across various stages of production, management, logistics, and trade, according to the Hanoi Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
In addition, the implementation of information technology in quality management requires large investments, but the resources of companies and cooperatives are limited, resulting in fragmented and unsynchronized investments, according to the department.
Nguyen Trong Long, Director of Hoang Long Cooperative (Thanh Oai District), recommended that relevant departments continue to provide guidance and training on digital skills to farmers to address these challenges and boost the use of information technology in production management and safe food supply chains.
He encouraged the creation of business accounts and online payment accounts to facilitate transactions on e-commerce platforms for businesses, cooperatives and producers.
In addition, he said, manufacturers should be given guidance on packaging procedures, connectivity and delivery in the process of buying and selling on e-commerce platforms in order to be part of modern distribution channels.
In this regard, Nguyen Thi Thu Hang, Director of the Hanoi Sub-Department of Agro-Forestry and Fisheries Quality Management, said that the agricultural sector will continue to regularly cooperate with relevant agencies and telecommunication companies to organize training and provide guidance, knowledge and skills to agricultural enterprises, as well as promote the provision of digital services by agricultural agencies through social initiatives.
In addition, the department will create favorable conditions for companies, organizations and individuals to invest in projects that apply cutting-edge technology and digital transformation in agriculture, quality management and food safety, thereby effectively controlling the quality of agricultural products in the market, she said.
