Moc Chau District, Son La province. In collaboration with the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, FAO has showcased the future of sustainable farming in Viet Nam with a field day illustrating a smart and innovative approach to agriculture.

In the northern Son La province’s Moc Chau District, the event featured FAO experts, farmers, local authorities, and private sector representatives who saw firsthand the new approaches to tomatoes and sweet peppers, the crops grown under the optimized greenhouses under the FAO project “Smart Farming for the Future Generation.”

This four years project is co-implemented with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) with financial support from the Government of the Republic of Korea.

The project aims to improve the production, post-harvest, food safety, and marketing of greenhouse vegetables through the application of scientific and evidence-based solutions, innovatory approaches, and advanced technologies. It supported 18 rural households in Moc Chau to improve and optimize their existing greenhouses by engaging in various activities.

These pilot households received high-quality seedlings, fertilizers, agriculture technical tools and accessories, close technical support, monitoring, and on-the-job trainings (capacity building programmes) throughout the crop cycle. The project team conducted a series of trainings to increase technical capacity in greenhouse vegetable cultivation, phytosanitary compliance, sustainable water, soil and plant nutrition management, and integrated pest management. The project also plans to increase the capacity and infrastructure for post-harvest handling and food safety, as well as improve the marketing of vegetables grown in greenhouses.

As a result, beneficiaries have already experienced tangible benefits from implementing the new methods and growing healthy and safe plants.

During the discussions after the field visit, FAO Representative Rémi Nono Womdim and participants further shared best practice knowledge in greenhouse production and management in a guided environment with local technical experts, showcasing the most suitable and adopted technologies and innovations in greenhouse production for adoption nationwide.

“It is encouraging to know that the participants here are among the very first farmers applying protected agriculture in Moc Chau, contributing to the enormous potential for future development of greenhouse production. I am delighted to note that a number of farmers have taken it upon themselves to construct greenhouses, which is a testament to the sustainability and our collaborative impact of the project on the local community. FAO stands ready to continue to support the government in the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems”, said FAO Representative in Viet Nam Rémi Nono Womdim.