In late August, a livestream event was held at a model durian farm in Ea Knuec commune, Dak Lak, featuring the commune’s female Party secretary selling durians with villagers on TikTok and Facebook.

From early morning, ripe durians were neatly arranged in traditional E-de baskets atop brocade-covered tables. With a smartphone camera streaming live, H’Jih Kbuor (known as Mrs. Truc) became her village’s first-ever online seller. Sitting in front of the phone screen, H’Jih and the commune’s female leader talked about durian cultivation and introduced viewers to their premium agricultural product.

“I joined the livestream program to share our durian harvest story. We hope the fruit sells at a good price so our villagers can continue to improve their lives,” Mrs. Truc told VOV.

In just one livestream session, 60 tons of durian were sold. A flood of orders, messages, and “likes” on the livestream screen made villagers extremely excited. Under the brand name “Ami kao Durian” (“My mother’s durian” in the E-de language), the villagers are selling fruit, sharing their production process, and reinforcing a commitment to quality. Direct customer engagement on digital platforms is a fresh approach to brand-building for them.

Seeing the clear benefits of e-commerce, Nguyen Cong Diem — an ethnic Nung farmer and owner of the model orchard selected for the livestream — is now considering building an independent online sales channel. “I want to eventually develop my own platform to connect producers and consumers directly so we won’t rely on middlemen,” said Diem.

The pioneering livestream session was part of the “One Commune, One KOL” project, which aims to bring Dak Lak’s specialties and landscapes into the digital space. The image of a commune-level Party secretary becoming an “agricultural KOL (Key Opinion Leader)” has inspired the villagers. The livestream also served as a grassroots “Digital Literacy for All” classroom. It made local ethnic minority farmers more confident about using e-commerce tools.

The involvement of a local leader in livestream sales sent a strong message: leaders must lead by example and guide the community in digital adoption. Ea Knuec commune Party Secretary Ngo Thi Minh Trinh said, “We want our farmers to take part in digital transformation — livestreaming at home to promote local products and tourist attractions. Together, we can change habits, expand market access, and build digital skills across the community.”

With the participation of local officials and ordinary citizens, “digital villages” are becoming a reality. Similar initiatives are expanding across Dak Lak. Developing practical digital skills —photographing products, producing short videos, livestreaming sales, answering customers’ questions, processing orders, and managing deliveries — is gradually embedding technology into agricultural life in ethnic minority areas.

According to Bui Thanh Toan, Director of the provincial Department of Science and Technology, Dak Lak is working to ensure that all residents can access mobile broadband internet and participate in e-commerce by the end of this year. “We have advised the provincial authorities to instruct telecom and IT enterprises to accelerate network coverage. We aim to eliminate all mobile signal dead zones in Dak Lak by the end of this year. Once internet and broadband infrastructure are in place, residents will have the conditions to acquire digital skills and knowledge,” said Toan.

As the digital infrastructure expands, Dak Lak is introducing digital economic indicators in each commune. Through tech development, innovation, and digital transformation in agriculture, commerce, and tourism, Dak Lak is shaping a new rural identity for every village.