Using AI to address concerns about the rural and agricultural census

The sixth agricultural census will be conducted nationwide on July 1, 2025. Photo phunuvietnam.vn

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Hoà Bình has tasked the General Statistics Office (GSO) under the Ministry of Planning and Investment to finalise the plan for the 2025 Rural and Agricultural Census, including questionnaires, guidance documents and operational procedures.

The goal is to ensure that information collection methods are simple, clear and verifiable.

The sixth agricultural census will be conducted nationwide on July 1, 2025.

The Government Office on January 9 issued Notice No. 09/TB-VPCP summarising the conclusions of Deputy Prime Minister Nguyễn Hòa Bình, who is also the head of the Central Steering Committee for the 2025 Rural and Agricultural Census.

The GSO will conduct outreach campaigns in multiple formats, blending traditional and digital communication channels including newspapers, television, local loudspeaker systems and mobile network messages.

The ministry will also develop a unified nationwide communication strategy and materials.

A digital platform using Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be developed to automatically answer questions from census supervisors (GSVs), census interviewers (DTVs) and the general public.

Specialised publications will also guide citizens on how to provide accurate information for the census.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment will recruit supervisors and interviewers who are knowledgeable about local areas, information technology and agriculture and can effectively communicate with citizens.

Clear assignments and responsibilities will be outlined for participants in the census, particularly interviewers responsible for gathering accurate information.

Training sessions on statistical and IT operations will be held for all census personnel. These will include central-level training on household enumeration lists and farm listings by March 2025 and training on census questionnaires and IT applications by May 2025.

The Ministry of Planning and Investment will ensure the provision of logistics and IT infrastructure to support data collection, processing and analysis while safeguarding personal data in accordance with Government Decree No. 13/2023/NĐ-CP dated 17 April 2023.

They will coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to review funding for external interviewers to ensure compliance with regulations and report any unresolved challenges to relevant authorities.

Local steering committees will advise local authorities on implementing the census as a key task for 2025.

Efforts will include establishing committees at all administrative levels, ensuring proper training for supervisors and interviewers and allocating resources to ensure smooth operations.

Local authorities will also provide necessary information and tailor communication strategies to local contexts.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will work closely with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to develop guidance materials and facilitate census operations. They will also share data to support statistical analysis.

The Ministry of Information and Communications will work with the Ministry of Planning and Investment to enhance the IT system, ensure network security and develop risk mitigation strategies.

Telecommunication providers will send census awareness messages to the public. Local digital community teams will also assist interviewers with IT support.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is tasked with supplying digital mapping data to help manage census locations and disseminate results via GIS systems, while the Ministry of Finance will allocate funds for the census per legal requirements.

The Ministry of Defence is requested to conduct the rural and agricultural census according to the established plan.

Other ministries and organisations, including the Việt Nam Fatherland Front and the Việt Nam Farmers' Union, will collaborate in promoting the census, supervising data collection and providing administrative data as needed. VNS