Phu Tho Unleashes High-Tech Agricultural Potential

Following the administrative merger, the newly formed Phu Tho province is not only undergoing a territorial restructuring but also seizing a golden opportunity to build a modern, efficient, sustainable, and high-value-added high-tech agricultural ecosystem.

Unlocking strategic advantages

With a total area of over 9,000 square kilometers and a population exceeding 4 million, the new Phu Tho province possesses outstanding advantages in land resources and human capital. Its diverse subclimate zones and soil types allow for the development of nearly all forms of high-tech agricultural products to meet growing market demand. Additionally, the new province inherits a solid foundation in high-tech agriculture from its predecessor provinces.

Notably, the former Vinh Phuc province had more than 73% of its natural area classified as agricultural land and was recognized as a leading example of high-tech agriculture in northern Vietnam.

From 2021 to 2024, the province’s agricultural sector achieved an impressive growth rate of 5–5.3%—ranking first in the Red River Delta and ninth nationwide. The province successfully developed over 4,800 hectares of safe vegetables across 71 localities, promoted digital transformation, implemented traceability systems, and fostered cooperatives and high-tech agricultural enterprises.

Several ecological farming models, powered by digital technologies, have yielded large-scale, high-yield fields. However, traditional farming practices remain prevalent, supply chains are weakly connected, land fragmentation persists, and infrastructure—particularly for irrigation, storage, and processing—remains underdeveloped.

Applying high-tech agricultural methods at the Dao Gia Trang farm in Vinh Tuong Commune enhances both product quality and market competitiveness.

The former Phu Tho province also made significant strides in agricultural digital transformation. It designated specialized zones with strong potential for high-tech applications, such as 70 tea-growing areas, 166 grapefruit zones, and 33 banana plantations. Thousands of hectares of grapefruit have been certified for safe production and granted official growing area codes. The province also partnered with major enterprises such as Loc Troi Group to build post-harvest industrial complexes and develop rice value chains.

More than 80 cooperatives and farms have adopted high-tech methods, leading to initial improvements in product quality and production efficiency. However, small-scale operations, inadequate logistics, and limited post-harvest processing equipment continue to hinder large-scale adoption. These challenges require robust and coordinated investment in the near future.

Tea from Tan Son District enjoys a strong national reputation.

The former Hoa Binh province, meanwhile, was well-known as a high-tech fruit cultivation center—especially for citrus trees. It accounted for 5% of the country’s total orange and grapefruit acreage, generating average incomes of VND 300–450 million per hectare per year—among the highest in Vietnam. The province approved three agricultural zones and 11 high-tech farming areas, implemented pest management software, issued growing area codes, and applied GlobalGAP standards for melon and tomato cultivation. Advanced technologies such as greenhouses, drip irrigation systems, sensors, and UAVs were also deployed. Nonetheless, the lack of highly specialized human resources, incomplete infrastructure, and fragmented production models remain barriers to widespread adoption.

Cao Phong oranges contributed significantly to Hoa Binh’s reputation, accounting for 5% of the national citrus fruit area.

A vision for breakthroughs

From this diverse foundation, Phu Tho province must work toward building an integrated high-tech agricultural ecosystem that unites all three localities—linking seed development, cultivation, processing, logistics, and market access. Such a system would not only increase added value per hectare but also promote sustainable economic, social, and environmental development.

In the immediate term, the province needs to issue tailored mechanisms and policies to implement the national resolution on regional-scale administrative reform. This includes credit incentives, land fund development, and attracting both domestic and foreign investment under the “Four Stakeholders” model (government, scientists, businesses, and farmers).

The province should focus on land-use planning and accumulation, expanding specialized cultivation zones to 500–1,000 hectares. Land consolidation should be driven by cooperatives, prioritizing areas already assigned planting area codes to create concentrated production hubs linked to high-tech applications.

Infrastructure investment must be prioritized—particularly for automated irrigation, renewable energy-powered greenhouses, cold storage, and inter-regional logistics centers. Digital platforms should be widely adopted for pest and disease management, traceability, e-commerce, and production oversight through sensors and GIS mapping.

Human resource development is critical. The province should invest in training “digital farmers,” establishing agricultural academies, and partnering with domestic and international universities and research institutes to foster high-tech competencies and modern agricultural mindsets.

Businesses and cooperatives should be supported with initial investment capital, brand building, and traceability systems. Strengthen linkages between enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers to establish closed-loop value chains. Further investment is needed in processing and packaging technologies, traceability codes, and brand development under the label “New Phu Tho—VietGAP/High-Tech,” while expanding distribution through supermarkets, e-commerce platforms, and export channels to regional and global markets.

It can be affirmed that the new Phu Tho province has all the necessary conditions to become a national model for high-tech agriculture—provided it effectively leverages the unique strengths of each region. The key lies in building a unified and coordinated ecosystem that spans policy, production, processing, and market access. Technology must be integrated from the outset to avoid fragmentation and duplication of effort. When all three regions align under a shared vision and embrace innovation, the new Phu Tho will become not only a geographical merger but also a thriving hub of green, creative, and modern agriculture.

Quang Nam