An article about our smart agriculture project in Vietnam was published in “ASEAN Economic News.”
「ASEAN経済通信」に、ベトナムでのスマート農業事業の取り組みが記事掲載されました。
Promoting a Management Model Suitable for Small and Medium-Sized Farmers
Niinuma Launches Smart Agriculture in Vietnam
Niinuma (Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, President: Toshihide Niinuma), which handles hardware sales and LED lighting businesses, is working to introduce a smart agriculture management model in Vietnam. In Vietnam, the low profitability of primary industries is a significant economic and social challenge. To address this challenge, the company aims to promote a highly profitable agricultural management model by realizing small-scale, high-value-added production, a strength of Japanese companies. The project has also been selected as a demonstration project by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Recently, the first smart house, representing the production and management model, was completed in Dien Bien Province in northern Vietnam. The plan is to cultivate high-quality, high-value-added fruit tomatoes in the house. “By introducing a Japanese-style small-scale smart house, production management will be easier, and it will be well-suited to the agricultural conditions in northern Vietnam,” says Yuya Minowa, General Manager of the Overseas Business Division.
In the greenhouse, automatic control based on environmental sensing provides a consistently favorable environment for crop growth, aiding in cultivation. A key feature is the inclusion of a weekly remote monitoring and online guidance service, supporting production management from afar to enhance productivity, yield, and disease control.
Expansion of Franchise Farms
In the Red River Delta region of northern Vietnam, the average cultivated land area per farmer is 0.44 hectares, and 97% of all agricultural workers are small to medium-sized farmers. Due to low profitability, low income, and low quality, agriculture accounts for only 11% of GDP nationwide, despite representing 41.9% of the agricultural workforce.
While some large corporations operate on a large scale, the technology used is from South Korea and Europe. There is a significant lack of agricultural models that can be implemented on small plots of land, are high-quality, and highly profitable.
Starting with the initiative in Dien Bien province, the company will continue to implement fruit tomato cultivation utilizing smart greenhouse technology. In the future, the company plans to develop franchise farms (contract farmers) that package smart houses and remote cultivation technology guidance. Supply to restaurants, supermarkets, and for export is expected.
Simultaneously, research and development will be conducted to further improve yield and productivity, as well as to achieve high value-added and high yields with other vegetables.
Niinuma’s revenue comes from the sale, management, and guidance of smart houses, as well as from the procurement and sale of high value-added fresh produce. Furthermore, they are considering expansion not only into Vietnam but also into ASEAN and Global South countries.
By increasing partnerships with Japanese companies and organizations, they aim to incorporate Japanese agricultural technology and utilize it in smart agriculture in Vietnam. (26/3/30)(M)
