Hue embraces high-tech agriculture as city eyes ambitious 2026 targets

By 2026, city authorities aim for 10 to 15 percent of farming households and 15 to 20 percent of agribusinesses to engage in high-tech agricultural production.

Standout models reshaping the sector

In Ha Lang hamlet, Dan Dien commune, farmer Le Quang Sang has built one of the area's most closely watched operations. Where he once relied on traditional cultivation methods that yielded inconsistent results, Sang has transformed his approach by investing in a modern screenhouse system to grow netted melon.

His operation, branded Thanh Truc Farm, spans nearly 5,000 square meters and integrates automated irrigation with fertilizer injection, along with soil moisture and pH sensors. The fully monitored growing process minimizes pesticide use, producing fruit that meets food safety standards. Every stage of cultivation is tracked and controlled to ensure product consistency.

"The model is delivering very promising results," Sang said. "The melon grows well, with a high fruit-set rate, uniform quality, and attractive appearance. Every two months, we bring roughly 20 to 25 tonnes to market." He added that high-tech methods have pushed yields beyond what traditional farming could achieve while significantly cutting labor costs and weather-related risks. Sang said he plans to tap agricultural support funding to expand the farm's footprint.

In Phong Thai ward, the Hoang Bang integrated farm has taken technology adoption even further, developing a livestock operation across approximately 20 hectares. The farm currently raises more than 7,000 suckling pigs and 12,000 market pigs per batch, averaging 2.2 batches per year.

Farm manager Nguyen Cuu Cong Thanh explained that the facility uses climate-control systems in all livestock housing, supported by IoT sensors that automatically regulate temperature, humidity, airflow, and lighting. "This ensures the best possible living conditions for the animals, reduces disease risk, and cuts labor costs," he said. All livestock data and disease indicators are monitored and updated in real time via smartphone, enabling managers to make timely decisions.

The farm has also deployed automatic disinfectant misting systems to maintain biosecurity, as well as odor-suppression misting systems that break down odor-causing particles and improve air quality in the enclosures. Looking ahead, Thanh said the farm intends to invest in automated feeding systems and advanced waste-treatment technology, working toward a modern, sustainable, and environmentally friendly livestock model.

Policies driving the push

Nguyen Ngoc Tien, chairman of Dan Dien commune's People's Committee, described chain-linked, high-tech agriculture as a core policy direction embedded in the commune's annual socioeconomic development plans. "This is the inevitable path for modern agriculture, contributing to improved economic efficiency and higher incomes for local people," he said. The commune has been encouraging residents to invest boldly, convert or lease land for high-tech production, and access lending support to scale up operations.

At the provincial level, what was then Thua Thien-Hue Province, now consolidated as Hue City, issued a directive in 2016 to restructure agriculture toward sustainable development, emphasizing the application of advanced science and technology and the promotion of high-tech, safe food production.

Le Van Anh, deputy director of Hue City's Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the department has focused on restructuring the sector around high-tech, safe agriculture, including organic and VietGAP-certified production, and has advised the city's People's Council to adopt supportive resolutions.

To date, 24 high-tech agricultural facilities have received financial support totaling more than 8 billion Vietnamese dong, with local authorities providing an additional 15.2 billion dong for measures within their own jurisdictions. Many of those operations have since expanded and achieved strong results in both yield and product value.

Among the most notable outcomes is the expansion of organic rice cultivation zones, where no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides are used. A key example is the partnership between Que Lam Organic Agriculture Company and two agricultural cooperatives in Phu Ho commune - Phu Luong 1 and Phu Luong 3 - to produce premium organic rice varieties, including BT7 and DT39. Hue now has more than 3,000 hectares of rice under organic or high-quality production models.

Le Van Anh said the city's 2026 plan includes establishing three to five technology transfer models in high-tech agriculture, tailored to different ecological zones, with at least 10 percent involving value-chain linkages. The goal is also for 10 to 15 percent of farming households and 15 to 20 percent of businesses to apply high-tech methods covering seed improvement, cultivation processes, post-harvest technology, mechanization, and automation in livestock management and waste treatment.

Hue City currently operates more than 60,000 square meters of screenhouses and net houses, with 9,180 hectares of farmland certified under VietGAP and 278 hectares under organic production, of which more than 118 hectares are officially certified. Aquaculture operations include approximately 12 hectares certified to VietGAP standards, more than 80 hectares using Biofloc technology in covered ponds, and more than 4,000 hectares under improved extensive polyculture systems that integrate multiple environmentally friendly species.