Contest seeks startup initiatives in high-tech agriculture

The contest, held for the first time last year, seeks to attract innovative ideas and projects that offer solutions to problems related to the economy and environment and work towards smart agriculture.

Individuals or groups of young people, lecturers and students from universities and colleges in Ho Chi Minh City and surrounding provinces like Dong Nai, Binh Duong, Tay Ninh, Long An, Ben Tre, Hau Giang and Dong Thap, and Can Tho city are eligible for the contest.

The contest features startup projects and initiatives on farming without soil in net houses, biotech for agriculture, plant selection, bio products for agriculture, processing and preserving farm produce, cultivation, flowers, bonsai trees and ornamental fish.

Nguyen Hai An, Director of the AHBI, said the contest encourages projects using advanced technologies applied in or renovated to suit conditions in Vietnam. The organising board will support initiatives with a view to turning them into commercial products, thus forming startups in agriculture applying high technology.

According to An, the organising board will support projects in activities such as training, building business plans, intellectual property, and field trips to some successful startup models.

The contest will be held in three rounds, and the final round is slated for October 12 with a grand prize of 30 million VND (1,293 USD).

Winners can also receive funding from investors and mentorship to commercialise their start-up ideas.

Last year there were 50 contestants.

This year the contest has received 30 applications so far, and the closing date is September 5.