Labor Hero Tran Manh Bao

The 9th National Farmers' Forum in 2024, themed "The Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Association and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development listen to what farmers have to say," was jointly organized by the Vietnam Farmers' Association and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hanoi on October 14th. More than 20 delegates, including outstanding Vietnamese farmers, representatives of cooperatives, grassroots Farmers' Association officials, and businesses, spoke, expressing their wishes and proposing solutions to pressing issues.

Representing businesses operating in the agricultural sector, Labor Hero Tran Manh Bao, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ThaiBinh Seed Group, stated that the inevitable trend is to build a sustainable agricultural system. To achieve this, firstly, it is necessary to rebuild the agricultural production system, replan agricultural production, and reconsider what crops to grow and what livestock to raise.

Labor Hero Tran Manh Bao - Chairman of the Board of Directors of ThaiBinh Seed Group. Photo: Dan Viet

Secondly, we must create laws, but we must ensure that "the king's decree is not overridden by local customs." To achieve this, decrees and guiding circulars must be specific, and local authorities must get involved. Otherwise, "the law will remain in the sky," while the infrastructure below will not comply, causing difficulties for farmers and businesses.

Thirdly, we must build new-style cooperatives. I visited some cooperative models in Canada; they are impressive, with annual revenue reaching $7 billion USD. There, cooperatives represent farmers and are linked with businesses, and the relationship between cooperatives and farmers is very close.

Fourth, there must be a mechanism for linking the public and private sectors, including scientists , research institutes, schools, and businesses. Fifth, it is necessary to help farmers implement digital technology in production, thereby providing information to managers easily and conveniently.

"Ultimately, we need to effectively implement community-based agricultural extension. The extension system alone won't connect farmers; the whole society must participate in agricultural extension. I believe that with our collective efforts, farmers will become entrepreneurs, cooperatives will become businesses, and rural areas will become places of sustainable development," Mr. Tran Manh Bao affirmed.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of ThaiBinh Seed Group outlined five solutions for building a sustainable agricultural sector.

Regarding the issues raised by Mr. Tran Manh Bao concerning the new cooperative model, the Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association, Luong Quoc Doan, said: The Vietnam Farmers' Association has been very active in developing cooperatives, but the reality is still very fragile, especially when establishing cooperatives. Even linking cooperatives together is difficult; efforts have been made but not yet as desired, cooperatives are still small, and support is not significant. In Japan, 80% of fertilizer goes through cooperatives before reaching farmers, while we are gradually striving to do so.

Next, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan affirmed that without a spirit of cooperation, there would never be cooperatives, and no one can succeed alone.

"If production is too small-scale, it won't impact the market. We must link through cooperatives. The 63 cooperatives here spread the spirit of cooperatives, the spirit of outstanding farmers, to the community to attract people to participate. I also hope that businesses will join us in building cooperatives, helping farmers enjoy exclusive benefits when participating in cooperatives. Only then can we promote the development of the collective economy in the right direction and for the long term," said Mr. Le Minh Hoan.

Regarding community-based agricultural extension solutions, Minister Le Minh Hoan once again emphasized the pioneering, exemplary role and proactive spirit of outstanding Vietnamese farmers.

"Sitting here today, we are all exemplary farmers with a voice in the community. Therefore, please participate in community agricultural extension to have a stronger voice. Wearing the Vietnam Farmers' Association shirt, the community agricultural extension shirt with the slogan 'Where there are farmers, there is agricultural extension,' will make it easier to persuade each other; farmers will have a louder voice, 'stir up' the market more effectively, and thus farmers will no longer have to search for markets," Minister Le Minh Hoan affirmed.

Source: https://danviet.vn/anh-hung-lao-dong-tran-manh-bao-chu-tich-hdqt-thaibinh-seed-xay-dung-lai-he-thong-san-xuat-nong-nghiep-20241014232909917.htm