Land consolidation and plot exchange: Experience from Quynh Luu

(Baonghean) - Implementing Directive 08 of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee on mobilizing people to continue converting and accumulating land to shift economic structure, carry out industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas, in recent times, Quynh Luu District People's Committee has had many positive, synchronous and drastic measures, receiving high consensus among the people. Thanks to that, by the end of 2013, Quynh Luu completed the land consolidation and plot exchange, creating a breakthrough in building new rural areas in the locality.

After the policy of land conversion and accumulation, Quynh Hau commune established a steering committee, assigning specific responsibilities to each member to closely follow the locality to understand and promptly grasp the thoughts and aspirations of the people. In particular, promoting the role of departments, branches, and organizations from the commune to the hamlet to do a good job of propaganda and mobilization so that people clearly understand this major policy. Thereby, eliminating fragmentation, gradually investing in land improvement, saving production costs. Thanks to good mass mobilization work, the commune soon received high support from the people in the villages. The consolidation of small plots into large plots helps people have conditions to increase intensive farming, bring mechanization into agricultural production such as harvesters, transplanters, tillers, etc. Thereby limiting labor, increasing economic efficiency.

Moreover, after the conversion, the system of regional and plot banks was dug and built solidly, 1 - 2m wider than before, so that specialized vehicles could enter the fields. The internal irrigation system was also upgraded and repaired to meet the irrigation needs of the people. Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa - Secretary of the Party Committee of Quynh Hau commune, Quynh Luu district said: "In the process of leading, directing and mobilizing people to convert land, we have created unity and high determination of the Standing Committee and all Party members. Timely issue resolutions, plans and projects that are close to the actual situation of the locality, persistently adhere to the resolutions, goals and principles of conversion, discuss thoroughly and promote democracy to create high consensus among cadres and people. Regularly inspect, urge and resolve recommendations, proposals and problems of the people".

Quynh Luu farmers do irrigation.

Mr. Le Van Bon - a resident of Hamlet 6, Quynh Hau Commune, Quynh Luu District, excitedly said: "Previously, my family had 5 sao 10 thuoc, 4 plots in 4 different fields, but now it has only 2 plots. After the conversion, we see several advantages, firstly, it saves labor, secondly, it is more convenient to go to work. When converting, the banks are larger, saving labor, materials, and care. Through that, we can see that this is a correct policy, we are very happy and satisfied with this policy".

Before the conversion, the whole district of Quynh Luu had more than 163 thousand agricultural production plots, after the conversion there were only over 83 thousand plots left, a 51% reduction in the number of plots. Along with that, the localities have also upgraded and completed the internal traffic and irrigation systems according to new rural standards. The district also supported 150 million VND for the pilot commune and the communes that completed land consolidation and plot exchange in 2012; 100 million VND for the communes that completed it in 2013. Determining the development of agriculture, bringing abundant food sources and increasing income for each person; therefore, immediately after the successful land conversion, the district directed the communes and towns to base on the actual situation of the locality to plan concentrated agricultural commodity production areas. At the same time, forming large specialized areas to create favorable conditions for farming households to apply scientific and technical advances and advanced technologies to production. Besides, changing the structure of crops and livestock, investing in intensive farming and increasing the number of crops, increasing economic value on the same unit area.

In addition, it also saves time, effort and production costs. Many communes such as Quynh Ngoc, Quynh Thach, Quynh Hong, Quynh Lam... have built large model fields, increasing crop productivity by 10 to 15%. In addition, land accumulation creates favorable conditions for land monitoring and management. Mr. Dau Duc Nam - Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quynh Luu district said: "In the past time, the district Party Committee and People's Committee have been active in implementing the land consolidation work. In 2013, the volume of excavation and embankment for irrigation traffic was more than 1 million cubic meters, the area for irrigation traffic was more than 200 hectares. Before the conversion, the average number of plots/household was 4-5 plots, after the conversion, it was less than 2 plots/household. Currently, the roads outside the fields have been implemented according to standards, promoting the process of reassigning labor on the basis of increasing productivity and economic efficiency for crops and livestock, thereby creating more favorable conditions for monitoring and managing land fluctuations".

The successful conversion and accumulation of land in Quynh Luu is the initial result and a favorable condition to create momentum for the later development steps of agricultural production in the district. Thereby, improving the quality of people's lives, contributing to accelerating the industrialization and modernization of agriculture according to the new rural criteria.

Red Face(Quynh Luu Radio)