MDES Presides Over Launch of 2nd Chief of Digital Agro Business Program
Providing Executives with a New Vision on Digital Economy and the Innovation Knowledge Management in Smart Farming
August 17, 2020:
depa Building Ladprao – Mr. Buddhipongse Punnakanta, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), presided over the launch of the second “Chief of Digital Agro Business” (CDA#2) program organized by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) with an objective to enhance competitiveness of the Thai agricultural sector through the use of “5G” technology. The minister also emphasized the importance of digital technologies for the agricultural industry as the first “Chief of Digital Agro Business” program in Thailand received an overwhelming response from senior executives from both the public and private sectors.
The agribusiness learning program aims to leverage the existing knowledge on entrepreneurship and agribusiness management as well as enhancing understanding about digitization, the use of digital technology and innovation and digital agriculture solutions in the agricultural sector. The mission-based learning program also provides high-ranking executives from the public and private sectors with a new vision on digital economy and the innovation knowledge management in smart farming. There are 59 senior executives from the public and private sectors participating in the second Digital Agro Business Program, including Mom Ratchawongse Chatumongol Sonakul, former Labor Minister, Col. Dr.Natee Sukonrat, Vice Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), Somsak Jungtrakul, Khon Kaen Governor, Wattana Phutthichat, Sisaket Governor, Sawat Teeraratananukulchai, Chairman of the Udon Thani Chamber of Commerce, Rapheephat Chansriwong, Secretary General of Office of Agricultural Economics (OAE), the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Salisa Hanpanich, Executive Vice President of Siam Commercial Bank.
Besides that, Mr. Buddhipongse delivered a keynote speech, focusing on the substantial advantage of digital technology for economic development. He said the ministry prioritizes the digital economy and has realized the importance of the 5G technology to steer social and economic development. The 5G technology will play a crucial role in optimizing the digital solutions and enhancing the efficiency of digital technologies such as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data. They will enable an intelligent connectivity that will be beneficial to medical services, education, industrial sector, logistics, tourism as well as the agricultural sector. The evidence-based digital technologies will help catapult Thailand’s agriculture into smart farming under an appropriate implementation and adoption of smart farming framework and practices to suit each region and location.
Dr. Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President/CEO of depa , said that depa has continuously launched support measures and encouraged farmers and community enterprises across the country to adopt digital technologies and innovation that are relevant to the nature of their businesses. The digital-driven support measures have been made through the digital providers that registered with the depa in line with the assignment from the MDES. It aims to create and promote business matching between digital service users and digital providers.
The depa has provided farmers and community enterprises with a greater convenience to access a range of digital platforms. Users, farmers and community enterprises will be eventually confident in taking the standardized digital technologies and innovation. As a result, it helps stimulate learning, searching, and evaluating the suitability of each digital technology prior to applying or utilizing any digital technology such as the use of an agricultural drone to help optimize agriculture operations, smart irrigation and water distribution using the Internet of Things (IoT). This also includes implementing digital platforms such as Smart RSPO Palm Oil Plantation and Logistics Management in the manufacturing sector.
