Engineer leaves corporate path to digitise hometown agriculture

Đặng Dương Minh Hoàng (right) in his Thiên Nông Bình Phước Farm. — Photo courtesy of Hoàng

After graduating with a master's degree in automatic control in France, Đặng Dương Minh Hoàng decided to return to his hometown in Bình Phước Province. Here, he established Thiên Nông Farm, applying his digital technology expertise to elevate his family's agricultural products to new heights. Thanh Nga sat down with Hoàng to learn more about his journey.

Inner Sanctum: Could you please introduce yourself?

My name is Đặng Dương Minh Hoàng, born in 1988 in Bình Phước. I am currently a member of the Central Committee of the Việt Nam Farmers' Association for the 2023-2028 term, Head of the National Lương Định Của Network, Director of Thiên Nông Bình Phước Farm, Director of Bình Phước Digital Agricultural Service Cooperative, and one of the Top 10 Outstanding Young Vietnamese Faces in 2023.

Through my work at Thiên Nông Bình Phước Farm, I have created jobs for nearly 25 ethnic people. As the head of the national Lương Định Của Network, I have also implemented numerous activities and support programmes, sharing motivation, experience, knowledge, and skills with thousands of businesses, farmers, and young entrepreneurs across the country.

Đặng Dương Minh Hoàng seen at the 40th anniversary of JICA Training Programme for young leaders in March. Photo courtesy of Hoàng

Inner Sanctum: Can you share more about your educational and professional journey before returning to your hometown to start a business?

After the liberation of the South in 1975, my parents moved to Bình Phước to start a new life. This was in the early 80s when the entire country faced countless challenges. The land was tough, farming tools were rudimentary, there was a shortage of fertiliser, and cultivation was often ineffective. My family, like many others, struggled. This fuelled my determination to study hard and eventually find a way to help my parents and others farm more effectively.

Driven by this goal, I excelled at the HCM City University of Technology, earning a full scholarship to study automation in France. There, I gained access to the world’s most advanced technologies, which became the foundation for my current startup. Additionally, I met many talented individuals who inspired me greatly in my entrepreneurial journey.

While living and working in France, I often spoke with my teachers in Việt Nam about life and the desire to contribute to our homeland. These conversations, along with the guidance of my teachers, were crucial in my decision to return and serve my country.

My work experiences in various fields, especially in project management for international corporations, and learning how French farmers marketed their agricultural products, gave me a deeper, multi-dimensional perspective. This experience has shaped my ability to analyse problems, understand the market, and make informed judgments.

Đặng Dương Minh Hoàng receives a certificate of merit from Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính to honour outstanding collectives and individuals in the programme 'Glory of Việt Nam 2024’.Photo courtesy of Hoàng

Inner Sanctum: Could you describe the modern technologies and techniques that Thiên Nông Bình Phước Farm is using? What benefits have these technologies brought?

Thiên Nông Bình Phước Farm focuses on three main crops: avocado, pepper, and rubber. Our avocado products, branded Ông Hoàng Avocado (with a registered intellectual property logo), are available on the shelves of famous supermarkets and have gained recognition among customers. Our organic pepper products have secured a contract with Nedspice, a leading spice group in the Netherlands. Our workforce primarily consists of the S'tiêng and Khmer ethnic groups, who face challenging circumstances.

We have created jobs in cultivation and sustainable livelihoods for our workers through a model of mutual benefit, where workers contribute capital in livestock farming. This closed production process ensures a clean environment, worker health, and sustainable values for both the natural environment and consumers.

At Thiên Nông Bình Phước Farm, we apply high-tech techniques in agriculture, including automatic irrigation using the Internet of Things (IoT), rooftop solar power, a CCTV camera system to monitor the entire farm, drones for spraying pesticides on rubber trees, and the AutoAgri electronic diary for traceability via labels, QR codes, and the AutoAgri software. Each tree is digitised into a website with an electronic diary. We also use digital marketing through social media fanpages and produce our own organic fertilisers. Our products are distributed through traditional supermarkets and e-commerce platforms with clear traceability.

In March 2022, we established the Bình Phước Digital Agricultural Service Cooperative to advance digital transformation in agriculture. This cooperative uses the AutoAgri platform to manage, monitor, trace origins, and promote digital agriculture. We have already digitised over 1,400 cashew processing facilities in Bình Phước and signed an MoU with various provincial organisations to support digital transformation, connect agricultural product chains, and build sustainable brands.

Inner Sanctum: What challenges and advantages have you encountered in applying advanced technology to agriculture in Việt Nam? What advice do you have for other farmers?

We have several advantages in applying advanced technology to agriculture in Việt Nam, including strong government support and collaboration. The State has issued resolutions that promote mechanisation and digitalisation, addressing labour shortages in the agricultural sector.

However, we also face significant challenges. The digital infrastructure across the country is not yet compatible and has not kept pace with government resolutions or neighbouring countries, particularly in mountainous and border areas where signal quality and internet connectivity are poor. Another major challenge is the lack of comprehensive credit mechanisms for digital and organic agriculture, making it difficult to implement digital transformation comprehensively and hindering the replication of successful models.

The small-scale, inefficient production model and the lack of value chain linkages have always been significant obstacles to the development of Vietnamese agriculture. Therefore, in addition to investing in processing technology and focusing on the domestic market, digital transformation in agriculture is considered a core task for the future of our country’s agriculture.

My advice for farmers who want to learn and apply advanced technology is to leverage the familiarity and sensitivity of young farmers with smart devices. They will be the pioneers, leading the way in digital transformation within the agricultural sector.

Ông Hoàng Avocados (logo registered for intellectual property) have appeared on the shelves of famous supermarkets and are known by many customers. — Photo courtesy of Hoàng

Inner Sanctum: With the goal of "products from farm to consumers," how have you built your distribution channels? What are your plans?

As a small- and medium-sized enterprise, our approach to building distribution and marketing channels differs from that of large enterprises. We distribute through Business-to-Business channels, such as traditional supermarkets, and export to countries in Asia. We also focus on Business-to-Consumer channels, including collaborations with TikTok channels and Key Opinion Leaders to organise online sales via livestreams.

Each tree in Thiên Nông Bình Phước Farm has a QR code attached. — Photo courtesy of Hoàng

In addition to these channels, we actively participate in seminars and share our experiences at international conferences, both domestically and abroad. This allows us to tell the story of our farming and cultivation processes at Thiên Nông Bình Phước Farm and the Bình Phước Digital Agricultural Service Cooperative. By doing so, we not only showcase the tangible quality of our products but also gradually enhance our brand's intangible value and recognition.

Looking ahead, we plan to expand our market by further developing our mobile application, which integrates the Internet of Things platform to automate the cultivation, identification, and adoption of avocado and other fruit trees.

This initiative is a step towards promoting experiential agriculture and regional economic development. Additionally, we will continue collaborating with TikTok channels, KOLs, and the provincial Investment, Trade, and Tourism Promotion Centre to ensure our farmers' products reach consumers from the farm-to-table.

Fruits of Thiên Nông Bình Phước Farm. Photo courtesy of Hoàng