TOWARD MODERN URBAN AGRICULTURE

Ho Chi Minh City will focus on developing urban agriculture and applying high technology to increase output value for businesses and farming households in 2025 and the following years.

High-tech shrimp farming in Can Gio district

The city's agriculture has recovered and transformed into an urban agricultural model, with an emphasis on digital transformation and high-tech application in production. In 2024, the value of agricultural, forestry and fishery production exceeded VND19,900 billion, 0.2% higher than a year earlier.

In particular, agricultural exports have grown despite difficulties, with 13 million heads of ornamental fish and nearly 6,000 crocodile skins and products. The outcome was very encouraging, especially in the context of rapid urbanization and shrinking agricultural cultivation. However, the sector has not yet achieved the target growth of 1-1.5%.

Due to rapidly shrinking agricultural land, the city's agriculture has centered on key solutions to ensure good growth and expand the output of some crops and livestock. Development based on technology, automation and technical solutions is a strategic approach for the sector to bolster growth, enhance production value and product quality, and reduce environmental impacts.

Accordingly, businesses, cooperatives and producers have applied the internet to collect data, use garden management software or optimize the use of resources (water and fertilizers). Many urban agricultural models with new livestock and crops also proved their effectiveness in increasing product value and reducing production costs.

HCM City considers digital transformation one of its key tasks. Digital transformation in agriculture is an opportunity for the city to transition from ineffective traditional small-scale agricultural production lacking value chains, to a modern sector with new, sustainable values.

The city's agriculture will develop ecological production models associated with tourism and urban agriculture. This is also linked with advanced new rural development and rural urbanization.

In 2025 and the following years, the agricultural sector will continue to speed up urban agricultural projects based on the city’s approved master plan; focus on green agricultural production, meet direct consumer needs and supply inputs for green food processors; and actively accelerate digital transformation and high-tech application to management, and improve agricultural quality and value. The city will strive to achieve at least 70% of high-tech agricultural production by 2030.

Source: VCCI