Recently, the Vinanutrifood Bình Định centralized agroforestry processing plant project broke ground in Tây Sơn commune, Gia Lai province.
Covering 10 hectares and backed by nearly VND 500 billion in first-phase investment, the project pioneers AI-powered agricultural management and blockchain-based traceability, aiming to bring full transparency to supply chains and ensure stable access to international markets.
On this occasion, the Gia Lai Broadcasting and Newspaper’s reporter interviewed Nguyễn Thị Diễm Hằng, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Agricultural Business Council and General Director of Vinanutrifood Bình Định, about the company’s strategic direction.
AI paves the way for transparent production
▪ Vinanutrifood Bình Định is applying AI in production. How effective has this technology been for your business?
- We integrate AI across the entire production chain, beginning with raw material areas. Many domestic enterprises still rely heavily on personal experience with minimal digitalization, limiting efficiency and scalability.
With raw material zones ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 hectares or more, AI is indispensable for management. It forecasts diseases and natural disasters. For instance, during storms or heavy rains, AI systems provide detailed predictions for each crop, allowing us to take preventive action.
AI also monitors the full process, from seed selection, soil quality, fertilizers, and irrigation to cultivation techniques. All data is digitized and stored on a blockchain system to guarantee transparency.
Consumers and international partners can simply scan a QR code to see where a tree was planted, which plot of land it came from, and the entire care process.
This ensures product transparency, meets strict global standards, and builds trust with buyers.
▪ Can AI resolve long-standing “bottlenecks” in agricultural production?
- Absolutely. AI enables strict control from raw material zones through processing and on to the end consumer. Buyers know precisely how their products are grown, processed and delivered.
In the past, many shipments arriving at border gates produced inconsistent test results, despite being from the same growing areas and packaging codes, creating challenges for exporters.
By applying AI, we focus on transparency and process management, ensuring consistency and more accurate yield forecasts. Looking forward, we aim to develop a smart production ecosystem.
This includes applying IoT for automated data collection, optimizing processes to cut costs, installing surveillance systems in large farming zones, and collaborating with Gia Lai authorities to convert low-yield crops into higher-value ones.
For example, in Kbang, low-yield sugarcane areas will be replaced with coconut and intercropped fruit trees alongside medicinal plants, providing both immediate income and long-term sustainability for farmers.
Post-merger advantages to boost export
▪ Which areas will the company prioritize for expanding raw material zones?
- Initially, we will prioritize large farming areas near the plant in the former Gia Lai and Bình Định provinces, and then expand gradually.
For crops that are already stable, such as durian, banana, and coffee, we will buy directly from local farmers.
For low-yield crops or those with unstable market access, we will focus on conversion, working with farmers to establish sustainable raw material zones backed by product offtake agreements.
▪ After the merger of Gia Lai and Bình Định, what are your expectations for provincial policies?
This is considered an important step, opening up sustainable export opportunities for Gia Lai’s agricultural products.
At the 2025 Gia Lai export promotion conference to the Chinese market (August 18), Guangxi Liễu Dược Group Joint Stock Company signed a cooperation agreement with Vinanutrifood Bình Định to purchase Gia Lai’s agricultural products after preliminary processing for the Chinese market.
- This merger is a strategic step aligned with the Government’s vision.
The former Gia Lai has extensive raw material zones, while the former Bình Định provides strong logistics infrastructure and seaports, creating dual advantages for exports.
This combination is key to developing a complete agricultural value chain.
However, logistics remains the biggest bottleneck. Costs account for a large share of product prices.
If we can maximize seaport and logistics infrastructure, especially the planned Phù Mỹ port area, transportation constraints will be eased, boosting exports.
This merger will provide new momentum for high-tech and deep-processing agriculture.
▪ Do you have any recommendations for logistics infrastructure development?
- The distance from western districts to the seaport is only about 100 km, yet travel time is too long, pushing logistics costs up. For agricultural exports, speed is vital to preserve product quality.
For years, we have faced the paradox of having vast raw material areas but slow transport. I hope provincial authorities and ministries will soon adjust speed limits and upgrade critical routes, cutting travel time to around two hours.
The upcoming Quy Nhơn-Pleiku Expressway, expected to break ground this October, will be a game changer.
It should reduce logistics costs by 30%, enabling Gia Lai’s key agricultural exports, coffee, pepper, durian, banana and coconut, to compete more strongly on global markets.
▪ In your view, what policies are needed to attract more investment cooperation?
- The province should review, reclaim, or restructure land allocated to ineffective businesses and reassign it to serious investors using high technology.
Agriculture today cannot rely on outdated practices. Without innovation, it will be hard to compete.
We are ready to invest in large-scale model fields covering thousands of hectares, applying mechanization and digital technology to raise productivity, cut costs, and elevate Gia Lai’s agricultural products onto the world stage.
▪ Thank you very much!