Vietnam ploughs and sows seeds of prosperity

State support policies to help the agricultural sector promote mechanization and gradually reduce manual labor are expected to enhance productivity and development and reduce post-harvest losses.

Farm engineering thriving

The government has promulgated various policies to promote agricultural engineering development and the domestic agricultural engineering sector is thriving. Businesses have designed and successfully manufactured various types of machinery for use in agricultural production.

Examples include drying machines with capacity of 12-50 tonnes of rice per batch and a rice milling line with capacity of 4-48 tonnes per hour, designed and manufactured by the Bui Van Ngo Industrial and Agricultural Machinery Co., Ltd. Another domestically manufactured innovation is rice sifting machine with capacity of 3-10 tonnes per hour and recovery ratio of 100 percent, designed and manufactured by the SINCO Engineering Joint Stock Company. The Southern Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery Co. Ltd. has designed and manufactured combine harvesters with capacity of 1.1-1.5ha per day, and the Machinery Spare Parts No.1 Joint Stock Company designed and manufactured GRH 120 rice harvesters with capacity of 0.25ha per hour.

Another example is the Hai Duong Pump Manufacturing Joint Stock Company, which has designed and manufactured most types of pumps with capacity amounting to 2,200kW and a local content ratio of 95-100 percent. Its products are not inferior to foreign-imported products in terms of quality while being more competitive in price. The Vietnam Engine and Agricultural Machinery Corporation has manufactured two-wheeled tractors with capacity of 22-26 horsepower and a local content ratio of 90 percent, four-wheeled tractors with capacity of 22-26 horsepower, and diesel engines with capacity of 30 horsepower.

Support policies

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the use of agricultural machinery has increased rapidly. However, made-in-Vietnam agricultural machinery currently meets only 30-40 percent of domestic demand.

Therefore, the MoIT will maintain its coordination with other ministries, sectors and localities to support domestic companies in designing and manufacturing machinery for use in agricultural production and rural development. At the same time, the ministry will take suitable measures to protect the domestic agricultural machinery market and restrict the presence of counterfeit and smuggled products. Investment in research and development will be increased to enable the manufacture of those types of machinery that can replace imported products, with an eye on future exports.

The strategy for engineering development until 2025, with a vision towards 2035, focuses on supporting domestic companies having the potential to become strong agricultural machinery and electrical equipment manufacturing groups in the region.