Shrimp raising in Việt-Úc Group. The group announces an official commercial partnership with AquaEasy, applying AI technology in local shrimp ponds.— Photo courtesy of Việt-Úc Group.

HÀ NỘI — As one of the leading shrimp raisers in Việt Nam, where seafood products are a key export, Việt-Úc Group and AquaEasy have announced an official commercial partnership, applying AI technology in local shrimp ponds.

Under the partnership, the firm will deploy AquaEasy's AI systems, i-feeders and ShrimpTalk in over 1,000 shrimp ponds. They said the partnership could be a "role model for the shrimp farmers in Việt Nam applying smart solutions to increase productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the shrimp farming industry."

According to agriculture experts, thousands of small family-run farms dominate the Vietnamese shrimp industry.

AquaEasy's representative said: "It's often a challenge for these farmers to demonstrate environmental sustainability through eco-certification or rating programmes because the current tools used to collect data, assess farm sustainability, and identify areas for improvement are often not well suited for small farms. "

Deputy managing director of Việt-Úc Group, Nguyễn Công Cẩn, said: "The partnership with AquaEasy is a commitment from Việt-Úc Group to help shrimp farmers in Việt Nam by applying new technologies. It helps shrimp farmers save more time and make more money with less risk. The use of technology is critical to success in shrimp farming," said Võ Hoàng Vũ from AquaEasy.

Vũ said as a spin-out from Bosch's innovation hub grow, AquaEasy aimed to reduce manual labour and eliminate subjective assessments while improving yield, productivity and environmental sustainability.

The start-up's systems provide accurate, real-time data with alerts and recommendations displayed through a mobile app. Its technology is currently commercially deployed in Indonesia, Singapore and Việt Nam, and, according to the company, it increases shrimp farmers' productivity by 30 per cent.

Earlier, mobile digital technology was launched at Việt Nam Shrimp Forum, aiming to solve the limitations of existing platforms in the Vietnamese shrimp market, helping businesses and associations develop the shrimp industry effectively.

Trần Đình Luân, director general of the Directorate of Fisheries, told local media although the shrimp industry has developed rapidly, it still faced many difficulties and challenges. The farming environment has fluctuated, shrimp production costs are still high and precarious, and the linkage and cooperation between actors in the shrimp value chain are still fragmented and ineffective, negatively affecting product quality and traceability while reducing the competitiveness of Vietnamese shrimp internationally.

Local experts suggested the application should add a comment section and give more information about input materials so that the parties in the shrimp chain can cooperate toward the sustainable development of the industry. 

According to the Việt Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), local shrimp export turnover reached $2.3 billion in the first half, an increase of 31 per cent over the same period last year. — VNS