HÀ NỘI — Vietnam Post on Monday launched a service using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones) to transport goods and agricultural products in Mường Áng Commune, Điện Biên, in an effort to address logistics challenges in hard-to-reach production areas in the mountainous northern province.

The services will help tackle challenges in transporting farm produce in Mường Áng, where coffee and macadamia are among the key products. Some production areas are located 4-5 km from collection points, with steep terrain and limited road access.

The UAVs can carry up to 50kg per trip.

Vietnam Post said the service is designed to help move agricultural products out of production areas more quickly, reduce intermediate handling and improve connections between producers and markets.

Vietnam Post General Director Chu Quang Hào said that as technology is an important driver of innovation in postal and logistics services, the company is researching and testing UAVs for practical applications.

“With its extensive network reaching communes, villages and hamlets, Vietnam Post is particularly interested in applying UAVs in areas with difficult terrain, long transport distances or limitations in conventional transport,” Hào said.

The company said drones could also be used in agriculture for post-harvest transport, spraying and distributing agricultural inputs, as well as for other farming activities.

Vietnam Post has previously tested UAV applications in healthcare and postal transportation as part of efforts to develop a low-altitude logistics ecosystem.

Following the Mường Áng deployment, Vietnam Post plans to study expanding the model to other locations and gradually incorporate UAV transport into connecting segments of its logistics network. It also plans to explore applications in other sectors.

The deployment of drones in Điện Biên comes as Việt Nam is promoting science, technology, innovation and digital transformation to support socio-economic development, aligning with the Politburo’s Resolution 57-NQ/TW, which identifies science and technology, innovation and digital transformation as important drivers. — VNS