Promoting the process of "intellectualizing farmers"

SGGPO 12/08/2023 13:29

The Vietnam Farmers' Association will focus on training and developing skilled and outstanding farmers who are capable of becoming chairmen and directors of cooperatives and small businesses, in order to promote the "intellectualization of farmers" and build a professional farming force.

On August 12th in Hanoi , the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association opened its 11th Conference of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association (7th term).

The conference, held over two days on August 12th and 13th, discussed and decided on several important issues: reviewing the work of the association and the farmers' movement in the first six months of the year, and outlining key tasks for the remaining months of 2023; and introducing personnel for the planned Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, 14th term, 2026-2031…

Outstanding Farmer of 2023, Mr. Son Muoi from Dai Truong hamlet, Phu Can commune, Tieu Can district, Tra Vinh province, with his rice cultivation model. Photo: HUYNH XAY

In his opening remarks, Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Association Luong Quoc Doan stated that in the first months of the year, farmers faced numerous difficulties such as unstable and high prices of agricultural supplies and animal feed, while the prices of some agricultural products, especially pork and poultry, were low and sales were difficult, affecting production and business efficiency.

The work of identifying, publicizing, and replicating advanced models in emulation movements has been slow to innovate. The establishment and expansion of cooperatives, cooperative groups, branches, and professional farmers' associations; and models for developing production linkages along the value chain still face many difficulties.

In some areas, vocational training, counseling, and support activities for farmers are still passive, lacking initiative and dynamism, and heavily reliant on funding from the state budget.

Referring to the draft political report of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association, Mr. Luong Quoc Doan said that among the 16 targets set for the 2023-2028 term, the target of mobilizing 300,000 or more members to participate in voluntary social insurance has been deemed too high and has been suggested to be removed due to its difficulty in achieving it.

Regarding the target for the Farmers' Support Fund to grow by an average of 10% or more per year, with 2% coming from non-budgetary sources, some argue that the source of non-budgetary funding should not be specified, while others suggest defining precisely what percentage of the 10% comes from non-budgetary sources.

Lemon cultivation model of farmer association members in Viet Cuong commune, Tran Yen district, Yen Bai province. Photo: THANH TAM

The draft by the Vietnam Farmers' Association outlines several key tasks and solutions for the new term, focusing on training and developing skilled and outstanding farmers to strive to become chairmen and directors of cooperatives and small businesses, becoming key figures in promoting the "intellectualization of farmers" and creating a breakthrough in building a professional farming force.

At the same time, develop cooperative groups and cooperatives guided by farmers' associations to establish production linkages along the value chain, apply high technology, and promote digital transformation...

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