Lesson 1: Ensuring food security and social security

(Baonghean) -Nghe An Newspaper in the issues of July 17, 18, 19 published a series of articles by author Doan Tri Tue on "Ensuring farmers' interests in agricultural production". First of all, we would like to acknowledge the author's research and analysis. The series of articles raised the issue of efficiency as well as the issue of ensuring farmers' interests in agricultural production. Here, we just want to discuss again the efficiency as well as the necessity and role of agricultural production for the economy in general, each farming household in particular in the current situation.

With over 3 million people, Nghe An's annual food demand is very large. It is forecasted that by 2020, when the population will increase to 3.6 million people, our annual rice demand will reach 800 - 850 thousand tons, equivalent to 450 - 500 tons of rice. Currently, the total rice growing area of ​​Nghe An is 105,151 hectares, of which nearly 88 thousand hectares are specialized in wet rice cultivation (2-rice land) and over 11 thousand hectares are single-rice-single-crop land. With the specific climatic conditions, we do not have certain advantages in rice production.

To develop the economy and increase farmers' income, changing the crop structure and converting ineffective rice land to other crops with higher economic value such as sugarcane, stevia, various crops, etc. is an inevitable requirement. However, in our guiding viewpoint, we are still determined to maintain the necessary rice land area, including some areas that, although converted, must still maintain the current land status so that when needed, they can return to rice cultivation.

In a recent conversation, Mr. Nguyen Cong Chau - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Do Luong district said: In addition to the high land areas, difficult to grow rice, which are completely converted to grow other crops, in the low-lying land areas, near residential areas, Do Luong still focuses on converting to aquaculture. However, the conversion method is still ensured so that when the banks are built, they become fish ponds, and when the water is drained, they become fields that can grow rice. In the conversion policy, it is still necessary to maintain a stable rice area to first ensure food security in the area.

Checking the 2013 spring rice harvest situation in Thanh Ngoc commune (Thanh Chuong)

Looking at the broader picture, on the national level, the general opinion is that, for an agricultural country like Vietnam, the issue of food security (FS) cannot be thought of within 20-30 years but must be thought of for hundreds of years, how to ensure not only our lives but also our children and future generations. Sharing this view, Director of the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) Nguyen Tri Ngoc once gave an example: "In any country, people need to live on food. Therefore, to ensure national FFS, it is necessary to preserve rice fields. Moreover, after the recent economic crises, the lesson learned is that for sustainable development, there is no substitute for the need to invest in agriculture. And clearly, in terms of vision, preserving rice fields is absolutely necessary". Thus, it can be seen that protecting rice-growing land as well as keeping farmers attached to rice is a top priority, because this is not a purely economic sector but also a matter of food security and social security. While the land area does not increase, the biological productivity of rice is limited.

In recent years, we have implemented the policy of conversion in many areas, including rice and sugarcane land. However, according to Mr. Nguyen Van Lap - Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, many times, the conversion did not achieve the desired results. We have talked about inefficient rice and sugarcane production and unstable output, but in fact, some converted crops have also encountered similar situations. Pineapple in the raw material areas of Quynh Luu, Yen Thanh... is a typical example.

Currently, the investment in irrigation systems for hilly areas in districts such as Tan Ky, Nghia Dan, Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Que Phong, etc. has not been implemented. Apart from some areas planted with rubber and orange trees, the best solution for most of the remaining areas is to cultivate sugarcane. In fact, over the past 10 years, it has been difficult to find a replacement crop in these areas that has higher economic value and is more sustainable than sugarcane. Looking back at “history”, sugarcane is the crop that has brought “life-changing” to many poor farmers in Quy Hop, Nghia Dan, etc.

In many stages, sugar factories have to "fight to buy and sell" to have enough raw materials for production. Currently, although there are times of instability due to grass shoot disease, sugar prices increase and decrease, but I think, these are only temporary difficulties. And price fluctuations are inevitable for any raw material or commodity. Every year, sugarcane has brought thousands of billions of VND to farmers in remote mountainous areas, if they have not become rich, they have been able to escape poverty. For example, in the 2012-2013 pressing season, all 3 factories in the province paid farmers nearly 1,400 billion VND.

The same goes for rice, each year Nghe An has up to 900 thousand tons of rice, ensuring food security in the area and selling to increase farmers' income. In particular, in recent years, when Nghe An is gradually making strong changes to increase the value of rice, in which the most prominent is the introduction of high-quality rice varieties into production, farmers' income from rice cultivation has increasingly changed in a positive direction.

That said, to see that, although there are still shortcomings in agricultural production, maintaining the area of ​​rice and sugarcane, as well as farmers' attachment to the fields is inevitable. The problem is what solutions we must have to improve the lives of farmers, so that people can feel secure in their attachment to the fields, gardens, and hills.
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Article and photos: Phu Huong