Bring into full play the key role of farmers in agricultural development, rural economy, and new rural construction
Resolution No. 19 of the 5th Party Central Committee Conference of the 13th Tenure on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas once again affirms that agriculture is the national advantage and the backbone of the economy. Specifically, farmers are the main entities and center of the processes of agricultural development, rural economy and new rural construction.
This is the motivation for the Vietnamese peasantry to overcome all difficulties and challenges, develop a prosperous, wealthy agriculture, a civilized, modern rural area, and contributing to the aspiration to develop a prosperous country.
Affirming the role of the Vietnam Farmers' Union and the Vietnamese peasantry
The Congress of the Farmers' Union at all levels, which will lead to the 8th National Congress of the Vietnam Farmers' Union (term 2023–2028), will be organized in 2023. The VNFU at all levels needs to define goals, directions, and tasks for the next 5 years. "There will be many opportunities and challenges that the VNFU at all levels and the farmer's movement have to face in the coming time.” – said Mr. Luong Quoc Doan, Chairman of the VNFU. |
In 2022, with the leadership of the Politburo and the Secretariat, the management of the Government, and the active and effective actions of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations, Vietnam have achieved positive achievements in socio-economic development; strengthening national defense and security potential, building a political system that combines national strength and the strength of the times; expanding international relations, the socio-economic situation of Vietnam has recovered positively after the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the global recession rate is increasingly and the inflation rate is high all over the world, Vietnam's economy has achieved positive marks and has grown at a high rate. Its GDP is expected to reach over 8%. Macroeconomic stability is maintained, inflation is under control, major balances are secure, food and energy security is ensured, and the supply of human resources meets basically the enterprises’ needs.
The production of agriculture, forestry, and fishery is stable and growing, and the production schedule is assured. For the whole year of 2022, the export turnover of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products is estimated at over 53.2 billion USD, which increased by 9.3% compared to 2021. There are 11 groups of products with an export turnover of over 1 billion USD, of which there are 8 products or product groups with a turnover of over 2 billion USD (such as coffee, rubber, rice, vegetables, fruits, cashews, shrimp, catfish, and wooden products), including 7 groups of products with a turnover of over 3 billion USD (wood and wood products reached 10.92 billion USD; shrimp reached 4.33 billion USD; coffee reached 3.94 billion USD; rice reached 3.49 billion USD; rubber reached 3.31 billion USD; vegetables and fruits reached 3.34 billion USD; and cashew nuts reached 3.07 billion USD).
New rural construction has achieved positive results: there are 5,860 communes (71.3%) that meet the standards of rural areas; 925 communes meet the advanced standards of new rural construction; and 110 communes meet the model advanced standards of rural areas. There are 255 district-level units in 58 provinces and cities that meet the standards for new rural areas, reaching 39.6% of the number of districts in the country.
The mentioned encouraging results in the fields of agriculture and rural areas make an important contribution to the cause of socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security. They also contribute to a vivid and colorful picture of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas in 2022. The contribution of members and farmers in Vietnam to achieve these results is significant.
Looking back at 2022, in the situation of complicated climate change, increasing price of inputs s for agricultural production (such as petroleum, fertilizer, animal feed…), with unpredictable changes in the world, these have significantly and directly affected the lives and production of VNFU members, farmers, the activities of the VNFU and local farmers' movements.
Facing opportunities and challenges, closely following the direction of the Politburo, the Secretariat, the VNFU Standing Committee, the VNFU Central Executive Committee, the VNFU at all levels, the officials, members, and farmers of the country have actively and creatively implemented the tasks of the Union and the farmers’ movements in 2022. The basic targets have all met and exceeded the set plan.
Highlights in 2022: The VNFU Standing Committee has successfully directed and organized major programs and events such as: The Prime Minister's Dialogue with Vietnamese Farmers, the Festival of OCOP fruit and products in Son La, the 5th Conference on summarizing the movement of farmers emulating good production and business; praising typical good farmers in the country; the 10th Program on Pride of Vietnamese Farmers; the 4th Praising Farmers’ Scientist Program; the Tam Nong Festival; and the 5th National Farmers Competition... Thereby, these events have been spread widely and attracted the attention and support of a large number of VNFU officials, members, farmers, and the whole society, thus the role and position of the VNFU are now increasingly confirmed in the political system. In 2022, the Vietnam Farmers' Union became an official member of the World Farmers Organization after 10 years as an observer.
Arousing the desire to enrich and develop a prosperous and happy country
The Communist Party of Vietnam determines the spirit: “Promoting agricultural restructuring and rural development linking with the construction of new rural areas. Developing large-scale concentrated commodity agriculture is in the direction of modernity, the application of high technology, the enhancement of added value, and sustained development...” with "the determination to rise up and bring into full play of Vietnamese cultural values and human strength in the cause of developing and protecting the country."
The most important goal in agricultural and rural development is to comprehensively improve the material and spiritual lives of farmers and rural residents. Focusing on comprehensively developing Vietnamese farmers to become civilized, patriotic, self-reliant, creative, determined, and have the desire to develop a prosperous and happy country. Besides, they have the qualifications and capacity to organize advanced production, have a civilized lifestyle as well as social responsibility, respect for the law, and protect the environment and receive benefits from socio-economic development achievements, gradually access to urban services.
In order to continue bringing into full play and implementing the functions and tasks that contribute to the successful implementation of the Communist Party of Vietnam's resolutions, the VNFU at all levels should focus on the following tasks:
1. Continue to innovate the propaganda and mobilization of farmers to make the guidelines and policies of the Party and State and the Vietnam Farmers’ Union to reach the majority of members and farmers in the most practical and effective way; actively raising vigilance against the conspiracy of peaceful evolution by hostile forces, especially taking advantage of issues of ethnicity, religion, belief, democracy and human rights; land related compensation and ground clearance to incite and entice among farmers and ethnic minorities to oppose our Party and State. Propaganda and advocacy are not implemented only through meetings and training sessions but also through organizing practical activities that bring legitimate rights, benefits to members and farmers.
2. Innovating the method of gathering members and farmers on the basis of linking with the legitimate rights and interests of members and farmers; protecting legitimate interests and solve farmers' difficulties and frustrations is included in the content of the Union’s activities. Strongly, comprehensively and synchronously renewing the contents and methods and improving the quality and efficiency of the Union’s activities by focusing on strengthening the existing groups of professional farmers' groups and branches; pushing up the building of the professional farmers' groups and branches. Continue to perform well the organization of personnel, constantly consolidate the organizational apparatus from the province down to the grassroots in the direction of streamlining, effective and efficient operation; fostering and training the Union’s officials at all levels to meet the requirements of tasks in the new situation. The organization of the Union must always properly perform its functions and tasks; the Union officials must always be on the right position and tasks.
3. Focusing on improving the quality of the movement of farmers emulating good production and business, uniting to help each other enrich and reduce poverty sustainably; actively participate in emulation movements launched by the Prime Minister and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front. The Farmers’ Union at all levels should focus on directing innovation and improving the quality of the movements; more clearly shows the role of the Union in guiding farmers to develop collective economic forms, cooperating in production and business, the key players are good farming households. The Union at all levels should be responsible for supporting good farming households to maintain, promote and develop through consultancy and support activities. In agricultural economic development, the movement of farmers to emulate good production and business must be a leading movement. Demonstrations should be regularly developed as places for members and farmers to visit, study and exchange experiences on how to do business, apply the scientific and technical advances to production. The Farmers' Union must become a bridge and help to build trust between farmers, good production and business households with companies, cooperatives, and scientists to create a sustainable linkage in agriculture and construction of new rural areas.
Promoteing communication to replicate and spread advanced models in good production, business. The Farmers' Union needs to gather the good farmers to encourage them to become the core trainers in the realization of the goal of knowledgeizing farmers, become the core players in participating in rural economic development; participating in collective economic development as well as become the chairman of the cooperartive Board of Directors, Directors of cooperatives or bussinessmen in agriculture to promote rural economic development.
4. Promoting activities of consultancy and services for members, farmers in production and business, and development of collective economic forms. Providing legal advice and assistance; loan support; vocational training, science and technology transfer; digital transformation in agriculture; participating in the scientific research process to own a number of key plant varieties and animals; connection, support of input materials; branding and selling agricultural products; guiding and supporting the establishment of cooperative groups and cooperatives; supporting connections and building sustainable and effective links between the State, farmers, scientists and entrepreneurs, contributing to building production chains, supply chains and value chains; producing based on market signals, creating safe agricultural products, building, developing and maintaining product brands, consumption markets, and be competitive enough in domestic and international markets. Building many models of linking between businesses and farrmers to develop raw material areas, increasing deep processing, developing key products with high quality for processing and export.
5. Effectively implementing social supervision and feedback. Regularly and actively grasping the real life situation, thoughts and aspirations of members and farmers; promptly, directly advising and coordinating with all levels of Party Committees and Authorities in solving and removing obstacles and difficulties in the life, production and business of members and farmers. Participating in the good implementation of grassroots democracy regulations, contributing to the building of the strong Party, the Government and the political system; strengthening the federation of workers, farmers, and intellectuals through joint activities in production and business.