Vietnam sugar giant AgriS leverages Australian agronomy expertise to advance agritech across Asean

[HO CHI MINH CITY] Vietnam’s largest sugar producer, TTC AgriS, has entered a strategic partnership with Farmacist – one of the Australian sugar industry’s biggest independent agronomic service providers – to accelerate precision, sustainability and science-driven agriculture across South-east Asia.

The Business Times understands the partnership includes a merger and acquisition component, though the financial terms have not been disclosed.

The deal, executed through AgriS’ international investment and partnership arm, Global Mind Australia, aims to commercialise high-tech agricultural solutions at scale.

By integrating Farmacist’s proprietary data, methodologies and advisory platforms into AgriOS – AgriS’ digital operating system – the two companies will jointly develop end-to-end service models that combine agronomic advisory, agricultural inputs, mechanisation and precision farming solutions.

Through modern delivery models such as software-as-a-service, farming-as-a-service and data-as-a-service, the offerings will enable farmers and agribusinesses to make data-driven decisions with greater efficiency and impact.

“This approach reflects a shift from fragmented interventions towards integrated solution ecosystems that generate measurable productivity, sustainability and economic outcomes,” the Vietnamese company said in a statement.

Under the agreement, Farmacist will also serve as the AgriS ecosystem’s Center of Excellence.

Founded in 2010, the Australian consultancy comprises more than 40 qualified agronomists and professionals. Its team will lead the standardisation, validation and scaling of best-in-class agronomic practices across multiple crops and geographies.

As the Center of Excellence, Farmacist will form the backbone of AgriS’ R&D, Agronomy & Extension Hub, as well as its network of demonstration farms and applied research platforms across Australia and South-east Asia.

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AgriS currently deploys three sugar cane demonstration farms – or sandboxes, where high-tech agriculture models are tested, standardised and scaled – across Vietnam, Australia and Cambodia. They cover a total area of 3,200 hectares (ha), including 2,500 ha in Australia alone.

The agricultural giant plans to expand its number of sandboxes to 11 by 2030, adding farms in Laos and Indonesia.

Established in 1969 under the Bien Hoa Sugar brand, AgriS manages a circular value chain ecosystem spanning nearly 91,000 ha of sugar cane and 30,000 ha of coconut plantations across Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Australia.

The company, listed on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange, reported a revenue of 28.5 trillion dong (S$1.4 billion) for the financial year ended Jun 30, 2025, down 2 per cent from the previous year. Its net profit after tax rose 4 per cent to 834.5 billion dong over the same period.

Its partnership with Farmacist builds on a multi-year collaboration that began in 2022, when the two companies carried out strategic assessments and agronomic advisory projects across their countries, as well as Laos and Cambodia.

Prior to the latest deal, in 2024, AgriS invested A$1.5 million (S$1.3 million) in East Forged, a Brisbane-based company, to expand its foodtech portfolio with naturally brewed iced tea products.

The Vietnamese sugar player also has existing collaborations with several Australian agriculture players, including Mort & Co – one of the country’s largest feedlot operators and fertiliser producers – and Agrovision, a developer of agricultural drone technologies based in Queensland.