Promoting agricultural extension to meet new requirements

With the motto "where there are farmers, there is agricultural extension", in recent years, agricultural extension work in Dak Lak province has achieved many practical results.

Through the agricultural extension system, many policies of the Party and State on developing ecological agriculture , building raw material areas, linking production according to value chains, protecting the environment, etc. are disseminated and transferred to serve production and life, contributing to building green growth agriculture, sustainable development associated with new rural construction.

Accompanying farmers

Director of the Provincial Agricultural Extension Center Dinh Van Dang said that in recent times, agricultural extension work in the area has achieved many important results, especially in effectively transferring scientific and technical advances in creating new plant and animal varieties with high productivity and quality. At the same time, many large-scale, modern and effective production and livestock models have been built and replicated, especially in ethnic minority areas.

Notably, the project “Vietnam Sustainable Agricultural Transformation (VnSAT)” from 2016 to present, the provincial agricultural extension system has organized dozens of training courses on sustainable coffee production and replanting for thousands of farmers; built dozens of models of sustainable coffee production and replanting. The project has equipped farmers with knowledge on production organization and adaptation to climate change.

Or the project "Building a fruit tree production model according to VietGAP to serve the development of raw material areas associated with consumption linkage in some Central Highlands provinces" in the period of 2022-2025, up to now, the models under the project guide farmers to organize and establish cooperative groups to link fruit tree production according to VietGap standards, be granted growing area codes, link product consumption to bring high economic efficiency...

For example, Dai Hung Avocado Cooperative in Ea Kao Ward, with the support of the project in recent years, has linked a number of households with an area of 15 hectares to renovate their orchards according to the production process that meets organic standards, with a variety of varieties and seasons, ensuring avocado harvests all year round. At the same time, it has linked with Po Lang Production and Trading Limited Company to supply avocado raw materials for essential oil production enterprises, serving cosmetic processing, etc.

Mr. Dang Huy Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of the cooperative, said: Currently, the demand for avocado is relatively large, but the avocado growing area is gradually shrinking. Therefore, to protect avocado, which used to be a specialty of the Central Highlands, from the attraction of durian, the cooperative has formed production chains from building growing areas to processing and consuming products to build a brand for Dak Lak avocado, gradually affirming the brand of goods through promoting marketing activities...

In recent years, in the face of increasingly complex climate change that has greatly affected production, the Dak Lak province agricultural extension system has participated in the Agricultural Extension Project: "Building an advanced, water-saving irrigation model to improve productivity and economic efficiency for pepper plants".

The model has transferred water-saving irrigation technology, reducing water volume but still improving production efficiency. Up to now, it has been widely replicated and applied throughout the province.

Mr. Y Grin Knul in Ka Na A hamlet, Cu M'gar commune said that his family has 1.6 hectares of coffee intercropped with pepper. In 2023, with the guidance of agricultural extension officers, he boldly borrowed capital from the social policy bank to invest in a drip irrigation system, overcoming the shortage of irrigation water but the productivity of the coffee and pepper gardens is still higher than before.

New requirements for agricultural extension activities

Agricultural extension work in recent times has made an important contribution to shaping the agricultural production structure towards commodity production, gradually meeting the requirements of domestic and export markets.

At the same time, help a large number of farmers in remote areas, ethnic minority areas, and poor households increase their income through livelihood models under the national target program.

The provincial agricultural extension center said that after Dak Lak province merged with Phu Yen province (old), the center's apparatus had 3 specialized departments, 8 regional agricultural extension stations, 2 seed stations with a total of 134 officials and workers. The task of agricultural extension work in the new situation is extremely heavy.

Deputy Director of the National Agricultural Extension Center Hoang Van Hong said that in order to meet the requirements and assigned tasks, the agricultural extension system needs to continue to improve its capacity, innovate its approach and organize the mobilization of resources, information, and connect participating parties to serve the political and strategic goals and tasks of agricultural, farmer, and rural development.

Accompany, guide, and support farmers in developing production, applying science and technology, innovating, and building new rural areas. In addition, it is necessary to develop a team of professional, dedicated, highly qualified agricultural extension officers who understand technology and the market, and have organizational and management capacity.

It is necessary to apply digital technology and exploit databases to provide information and technical advice to farmers, cooperatives and businesses. Deploy a digital learning platform for agricultural extension officers and farmers to update knowledge on new technologies, smart farming techniques, circular and sustainable production.

Another important requirement is to strengthen public-private cooperation and socialize agricultural extension to encourage and attract organizations, individuals, experts, scientists, artisans, and good farmers to participate in agricultural extension activities and technology transfer in agriculture.

NGUYEN CONG LY

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/day-manh-khuyen-nong-dap-ung-yeu-cau-moi-390990.html