High expectation for digitali transformation in Quang Tri agriculture

XY Agriculture Development and Sustainable Tourism Cooperative, based in Ra Po village, Xy commune, Huong Hoa district, recently won third prize in the 2024 Quang Tri Province “Innovative Startup” competition. Their award-winning project, “Applying Digital Technology to Ensure Quality and Transparency in the Production and Business Model of Specialty Bamboo Rats,” gained attention as the first digitalized bamboo rat farming model in Quang Tri. The achievement is even more significant as the cooperative operates in a particularly challenging border region.

The XY Agriculture Development and Sustainable Tourism Cooperative was founded by a group of investors from Hanoi. The cooperative’s management board consists of Nguyen Duc Thanh as Chairman of the Board, Le Nam Khanh as Director, and Bui Xuan Thuy as Deputy Director. Among them, Thuy relocated from Hanoi to Xy Commune to directly manage and oversee the cooperative’s operations.

The cooperative’s office is located in Ra Po village, Xy commune, Huong Hoa district. Photo: M.L

Sharing the story behind investing in an agricultural model in such a remote area, Thuy explained that after the Covid-19 pandemic, a group of friends from Hanoi traveled to Quang Tri for charitable activities. Upon reaching Xy Commune, they saw the difficult living conditions of the local people, most of whom lacked sustainable livelihoods and had extremely low incomes. This inspired them to create a model economic project that the local community could learn from and replicate to improve their living standards.

The group’s idea was strongly supported by the local Party Committee and government. In July 2022, the cooperative was established, and the commune provided the cooperative with the village community house as a working location. The cooperative leased land from local people to cultivate medicinal plants, raise bamboo rats, and construct facilities to prepare for breeding one thousand Egyptian super-layer chickens under a medicinal egg farming model. Due to weather conditions, the chickens are expected to be introduced after the Lunar New Year when the climate becomes warmer.

During its operations in the locality, the cooperative realized that bamboo rats were well-suited to the region’s climate. As a result, they invested in building facilities and completed the necessary procedures to obtain permits for the farming model. Starting with thirty breeding pairs of bamboo rats, the cooperative has expanded to seventy pairs. Bamboo rats are rodents classified as common forest animals known for their rapid growth, high reproductive rate, resistance to disease, cleanliness, easy care, and simple diet consisting of bamboo stems, elephant grass, and a small amount of corn powder. The investment cost is moderate, but no one in Xy Commune or surrounding areas had previously farmed this species.

Currently, the cooperative is working on expanding its bamboo rat population, increasing the scale of its facilities, and continuing to breed more stock. The goal is to provide breeding animals and technical guidance for local farmers, who will raise the animals under contract farming arrangements. The cooperative will then purchase the products from the farmers, gradually deducting the initial investment costs.

Regarding market consumption, bamboo rats are sold as breeding stock and as meat, which is considered a specialty. Currently, breeding bamboo rats are sold for between five to seven million Vietnamese dong per pair. In 2024, the cooperative delivered its first batch of fifteen breeding pairs to a sustainable livelihood project for women in Xy Commune. The initial idea behind founding the cooperative was to identify and maximize the local area’s potential, strengths, and available resources. The cooperative members studied the climate conditions, soil characteristics, farming practices, native plant and animal species, existing agricultural production models, and the methods of transporting and marketing local agricultural products.

Through their research, they observed that local farmers mainly grow cassava and bananas using outdated farming techniques. Farmers lack control over their products and markets, making them vulnerable to middlemen who manipulate prices, leading to low economic efficiency and unstable incomes. Additionally, the knowledge required to invest in modern agricultural models incorporating scientific and technological advancements remains limited among the local population.

The cooperative aims to develop economic models that align with the local climate and soil conditions, gradually guiding farmers to change their farming methods and habits. Once the cooperative has successfully implemented and stabilized its operations, it will gradually recruit local residents as members and eventually transfer management to the local community. At that stage, the cooperative will focus on applying scientific and technological advancements to agricultural production. Investors will gradually step back from direct involvement but will continue to support the cooperative as strategic partners.

Mr. Bui Xuan Thuy introduces the model of breeding bamboo rats of the cooperative. Photo: M.L

Digital technology application in bamboo rat farming

According to Khanh, the market demand for bamboo rats as a specialty product is substantial, and there is significant growth potential. However, most suppliers in the market lack clear origins and legal transparency. To address this, the cooperative developed the project "Applying Digital Technology Solutions to Ensure Quality and Transparency in the Production and Business Model of Specialty Bamboo Rats through Digital Recordkeeping and Traceability.“This initiative is one of the key outcomes after more than a year of model implementation and recently won third prize in 2024 Quang Tri Province”Innovative Startup" competition. Notably, in this competition category, there was no first prize awarded in 2024.

The cooperative is currently collaborating to develop and refine a digital management model for the bamboo rat population using electronic recordkeeping software that supports traceability. Each bamboo rat has an individual profile that allows for origin verification. Since bamboo rats are classified as forest animals, the use of electronic recordkeeping and traceability software enables regulatory authorities to verify that the bamboo rats sold on the market originate from the cooperative. The cooperative ensures complete transparency regarding the origin and quality of its bamboo rats through QR code scanning, which allows consumers to track the animals' breeding and growth processes within the software system.

At present, many individuals and organizations engage in bamboo rat farming, but most operate on a small scale, lack branding, and do not invest in technology for management and quality control. Consequently, they struggle to ensure product quality and transparency in origin, limiting their ability to establish a strong market position. The XY Agriculture Development and Sustainable Tourism Cooperative will be the first entity to apply modern management solutions to guarantee quality and transparency in the commercial bamboo rat market.

The cooperative sells its bamboo rats in two product categories: breeding stock and meat. The market for bamboo rat meat remains large and is particularly valuable in the restaurant sector. Meanwhile, the demand for breeding stock continues to grow in response to the increasing demand for bamboo rat meat. This specialty market still holds potential, particularly in tourist areas and major urban centers, where expansion remains feasible.

In 2025, the cooperative plans to further enhance its digital system and upgrade its features to enable the Provincial Forest Protection Department, which oversees wildlife origin verification, to monitor the development of the bamboo rat population. This will facilitate the issuance of permits and the verification of breeding stocks. Additionally, the system will be updated to allow local agricultural management officials to monitor the cooperative’s production output and bamboo rat population size.

Khanh also expressed his aspiration for the cooperative to apply for scientific and technological task certification without using state budget funding. This certification, issued by the Department of Science and Technology and other regulatory bodies, would provide a legal foundation for the cooperative to transfer technology and collaborate with partners, cooperatives, and farmers in expanding the bamboo rat farming model in Xy Commune.

With this direction, the cooperative aims to become the largest supplier of bamboo rat meat and breeding stock in Quang Tri Province within the next three years.

Following the successful application of digital technology solutions to ensure quality and transparency in bamboo rat farming and business operations, the cooperative plans to develop additional agricultural products, including medicinal eggs and chicken meat, as well as herbal tea derived from local medicinal plants.

Furthermore, to diversify revenue streams from existing specialty products, the cooperative intends to invest in developing a community-based tourism model in Xy Commune and surrounding areas. This initiative aims to contribute to increasing local incomes and fostering sustainable development.

Mai Lam - Ngoc Mai