Son La province has the largest area of ​​fruit trees in Northern Vietnam, with 84,000 hectares of various fruit trees and an annual production of approximately 455,000 tons.

Implementing the digital transformation program, associations, organizations, and cooperatives at all levels in Son La province have focused on guiding farmer members and cooperative members to apply modern technologies in agricultural cultivation, linking value chains, and changing management methods; maintaining 413 products on e-commerce platforms; supporting 26 cooperatives to bring 110 local specialty agricultural products onto e-commerce platforms; building 4.0 markets associated with food safety and hygiene and cashless payments; and shaping OCOP products in the province.

Son La will continue to promote agricultural restructuring towards building high-tech agriculture and large-scale commodity production.

Mr. Ha Nhu Hue, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Sơn La Province, stated that digital transformation and the application of technology in agriculture will reduce costs and allow for better monitoring of crop and livestock growth. At the same time, promoting products through digital platforms will lead to broader and more effective consumption.

In recent years, thanks to the application of scientific and technical methods in grafting and organic farming practices, the longan orchards of the members of Trung Dung Agricultural Cooperative have consistently achieved good yields and quality, eliminating the previous problem of inconsistent harvests. Members have also begun using social media platforms like Zalo and Facebook to promote and sell their products.

In the livestock sector, the model of raising goats in concentrated confinement has recently been applied in Song Ma district. The barns, feed, automatic watering systems, and even surveillance cameras have been invested in quite extensively and systematically.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Linh, Director of Toan Phat Cooperative in Song Ma district, said that the cooperative is applying science, technology, and digital technology to livestock production. As a result, the cooperative has saved on labor costs and increased productivity, leading to higher-value products.

Through supportive and incentive policies, in recent years, cooperatives in Song Ma district have actively applied science and technology to production, transforming the district's agricultural production from fragmented and small-scale to high-tech, VietGAP-standardized.

Currently, the district has over 10,700 hectares of fruit trees, producing over 98,400 tons per year, with over 65,500 tons consumed domestically and the remainder exported. There are 48 registered longan growing areas, covering over 481 hectares and producing 4,800 tons; 50 cooperatives and one company producing safe fruit according to VietGAP standards; and 50 supply chains.

Son La province has over 200 out of a total of 665 agricultural service cooperatives that apply high technology and create sustainable agricultural, forestry, and fisheries chains. The application of digital technology to bring products to e-commerce platforms is also being actively implemented. However, most households and cooperatives are facing difficulties for various reasons.

The Muong Tac Agricultural Service Cooperative in Phu Yen district is a prime example of applying high technology. The cooperative has 16 members growing vegetables and fruits on a scale of 4.8 hectares, of which 4.7 hectares are certified VietGAP standard.

The cooperative has invested in a large-scale agricultural production system including 4 greenhouses, 1 net house covering an area of ​​4,800 m2, and a system of sunshade nets, lighting system, cooling fans inside the greenhouses, soil covering film, and applied smart agricultural management software to the production process.

100% of the cooperative's fruits and vegetables are labeled with traceability tags before being released to the market. With just a smartphone, consumers can easily find information about the products. The cooperative's products have been introduced to several supermarkets in Hanoi.

Digital technology has been replacing many daily tasks for farmers in Son La, and digital agricultural diaries are an indispensable guide for every farming household. Furthermore, many cooperatives are now considering applying artificial intelligence (AI) to their agricultural production processes.

Digital transformation has had a positive impact on current production and business activities. The application of technology in production to replace human labor has contributed to the flexible, appropriate, and highly effective transformation of production and business management models in cooperative economic sectors, reducing costs and optimizing resources.

In the coming period, Son La province will continue to promote agricultural restructuring towards building high-tech agriculture and large-scale commodity production. It will develop smart, circular agriculture that is internationally integrated, adaptable to climate change, enhances added value, and promotes sustainable development in conjunction with building new rural areas. The province will also effectively implement the policy of developing large-scale livestock farming in communes in Zone III and particularly disadvantaged villages.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hoang, Vice Chairman of the Son La Provincial Farmers' Association, said: In 2024, the Provincial Farmers' Association established a working group to implement digital transformation, headed by the Chairman of the association; and invested in an online meeting room to conduct internal meetings within the association system.

In coordination with the Provincial Post Office, we organized training on the use of e-commerce platforms for 100% of our officials and farmer association members, especially members of cooperatives and production groups. Simultaneously, in collaboration with Vibook Vietnam Digital Technology Group Joint Stock Company, we continued to deploy the "Son La Agricultural Products Market" application, organized training on digital transformation, supported agricultural producers in joining e-commerce platforms, promoted the development of the digital economy, and enhanced competitiveness.