depa launches the OTOD#2 project to enhance digital skills for agriculture, accelerating the transformation of traditional Thai agriculture into 'Smart Agriculture'
Bangkok - depa continues moving forwards to promote Thai farmers and digital artisans in adopting digital technology, launching the "One Tambon One Digital" (OTOD#2) Project to enhance digital agriculture skills among farmers, featuring smart agricultural technologies for the farming dronesagricultural intelligent tractorsIoT-driven smart agriculture. The continual initiative aims to reduce costs, increase income and improve farmers' quality of life by transitioning from traditional to smart agriculture in the digital era. The project is expected to generate no less than 500 million baht in annual economic value.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President and CEO of depa, presided over the press conference for the launch of "One Tambon One Digital (OTOD#2) Project", together with executives and representatives from various organisations at the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Headquarters) on Lat Phrao Soi 10.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Nuttapon stated that in 2025, depa is set to implement the OTOD#2 Project as a continuation of the 2024 initiative. The project aims to develop digital agriculture skills, improve the quality of life for local communities, farmers and community technicians as well as enhance production efficiency, with lowering cost and increasing profits, by integrating three certified digital technologies under the dSURE standard. These include the digital service registration accounts for agricultural drones (Drone), smart agricultural tractors (Tractor) and IoT-driven smart agriculture (IoT). In term of agricultural intelligence, it promotes income generation through the sale of standardised products and facilitates access to digital agricultural services throughout the cultivation, maintenance and production management processes. By leveraging data analysis for precise decision-making, the initiative seeks to transition Thailand's traditional agricultural sector into the smart agriculture era.
"The OTOD#2 Project focuses on learning and applying digital skills, marking the first-time adoption of three technologies at the national level: agricultural drones, IoT-driven large-scale community farming and smart agricultural tractors equipped for the future 5G integration. Additionally, Thai-made tractors will be upgraded with GPS systems, reducing labour and operation time. This will drive Thai innovation and introduce tractors into a Sharing Economy model, benefiting farmers in multiple dimensions, particularly by enabling shared access to high-cost agricultural equipment within communities. depa's approach is indeed not to think, act, or execute for the communities but to empower the communities to 'think for themselves, act independently and achieve their goals by themselves' through public participation and self-reliance by utilising dSURE-certified digital technology. The adoption of these technologies is anticipated to reduce costs, increase income and generate an annual economic value of no less than 500 million baht," said depa president and CEO.
In addition to the official launch of OTOD#2 Project, the event featured a significant Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between depa and the Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development (WINROCK). This partnership aims to promote agricultural technology to increase productivity and minimize environmental impact. Furthermore, depa announced 3 project sponsors, including HG Robotics Co., Ltd., GSB (Government Savings Bank), and Chia Tai Co., Ltd. The event also marked the beginning of collaborations with 13 partner agencies to drive the project forward, enhance farmers' digital technology skills, and showcase smart agricultural technologies from 12 Thai companies for the drones, tractors and IoT smart agriculture. The event also included an in-depth Digital Agriculture panel discussion covering various aspects of the sector.
The OTOD#2 Project will continue its proactive activities, including Digital Agriculture skill development through online learning, on-site Accelerate Digital Agriculture workshops and regional Pitching events across nine provinces in five regions: Central, Southern, Northern, Northeastern and Eastern Thailand. Activities will include intensive digital agriculture trainings, cutting-edge agricultural technology exhibitions and business matching sessions with dSURE-certified digital agricultural entrepreneurs. Also, participants will have opportunities to present their projects for depa's fundings and supports. The program will culminate in the Digital Agriculture Final Pitching Day to identify the best community development ideas or projects that utilise digital technology to drive social transformation. The pitching activity offers grants in two funding categories:
First, the Community Group Development Category - offering 250 farmers fundings with a maximum grant of 150,000 baht per project.
Second, the Farmer and Technician Upskilling - offering grants to 50 community digital artisans (technicians) on trainings to enhance their businesses, with a maximum grant of 200,000 baht per project.
This makes the total funding amounts to over 47.5 million baht.
Interested communities, farmers and technicians throughout the country can follow news and updates on the OTOD#2 Project at Facebook Page: depa Thailand.
