Performance of an agricultural drone used to spray chemicals on a rice field on the sidelines of the Agritechnica Asia Live 2022. —VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Liêm

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam aims to reach a minimum rate of 70 per cent of mechanisation in crop production by 2030, with the income of farmers around VNĐ120 million (US$5,140) per year, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lê Minh Hoan said on Thursday.

Hoan made the statement at the opening of Agritechnica Asia Live 2022, which was held in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ.

By 2030, more than 70 per cent of major agricultural processing centres will apply for technological advances, while post-harvest losses will be reduced by 0.5-1 per cent a year, Hoan said.

The minister said that the government had paid attention to and issued many policies to support the development of agricultural mechanisation.

There has been a significant development step in mechanisation in agriculture and farm produce processing as the number and types of machinery and equipment for agricultural production are increasing rapidly in the country.

Between 2011-2021, the number of tractors increased by 48 per cent, combine harvesters by 79 per cent, and machines for drying agricultural products by 29 per cent.

The country now has about 7,800 mechanical enterprises, including nearly 100 facilities that use agricultural machinery and equipment.

However, the income of a labourer in the agricultural sector is only about VNĐ43 million per year on average, equal to 63 per cent of non-agricultural workers.

The minister said that it is necessary to boost mechanisation in agricultural production and apply smart and environment-friendly technologies towards digitalisation and automation to increase labour productivity.

It is an inevitable solution for efficient agricultural production and sustainable development.

The 2022 Agritechnica Asia Live aims to foster sustainable mechanisation by demonstrating the use of up-to-date technologies in local cropping systems.

It is expected to offer an opportunity for experts and scientists to initiate a roadmap for applying agricultural sustainable development technology relevant to each country.

Other activities include seminars on mechanisation in the fruit and fishery sectors. A machinery exhibition will also be held within the event framework. — VNS