Post-urbanization: What do farmers do in the city?

(Baonghean.vn) - According to a report from Vinh City, the total number of people of working age capable of working in the communes is 49,864, of which 46,323 have regular employment, distributed in the agricultural sector accounting for approximately 46%, and the non-agricultural sector accounting for approximately 54%.

Farmers are losing their jobs due to urbanization.

In the suburban communes of Vinh City, non-agricultural laborers outnumber agricultural laborers. This is due to the shrinking land area and numerous land reclamation projects. In 2016, agricultural land decreased from 4,700 hectares to approximately 4,000 hectares.

The area that was once rice paddies in Vinh Tan has now become a new urban area of ​​Vinh City. (Archival photo)

Agricultural production in some communes does not yield high incomes, so people take up supplementary jobs such as construction work, making noodles and cakes, running food stalls, washing cars, and small-scale trading. Providing stable employment for these workers is a difficult challenge for the city.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Bao, residing in Hamlet 14, Nghi Phu, is of working age. His family recently received compensation for land lost due to city construction projects in the area. However, after depositing the money, Mr. Bao is unemployed. He spends his days at home raising chickens and ducks.

Mr. Bao said: "I used to work in construction, but now my health has deteriorated, and I don't know what kind of work to do." Mr. Khieu, another non-agricultural household in Nghi Phu, said: "My family no longer has agricultural land, and I'm too old to learn a trade, so I work as a construction worker. Currently, my health is poor, so I can't work regularly."

Many households in Nghi Duc and Nghi Phu districts are facing similar situations after land reclamation. Some original residents, even those living in the city center like Vinh Tan ward, still face difficult living conditions due to unstable employment, spending their days fishing or working as laborers in the Vinh market area.

Directions for the New Rural Development in the City

Creating jobs for farmers after land reclamation is a pressing issue for the city, its wards and communes, and the people themselves. This issue has also been raised by citizens many times at city council meetings.

The city has implemented support policies and organized vocational training programs, but these haven't been truly attractive to the people. Most of them find jobs on their own, such as learning hairdressing in Saigon, learning nail art, or selling clothes...

"Necessity is the mother of invention," and some communes have developed effective ways to boost the economy for farmers after land reclamation. According to Le Van Thuong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Hung Hoa commune, after receiving compensation for land reclamation, many people in Hung Hoa bought trucks and sent their children to work abroad in countries like Japan, the UK, and South Korea. Currently, 180 people from Hung Hoa commune are working abroad, with an average income of 20 million VND per person per month.

Others have learned trades or switched to farming. However, there is no linkage between farms; it is still only at the household level, and product distribution is still handled independently by each household.

Another fairly large group of laborers in the commune (around 500 people) switched to working as painters. With an income of over 7 million VND per month, they formed small teams, working together in a fairly systematic and stable manner.

In Nghi An commune, Vinh city, many people still "cling to the land" and remain loyal to agriculture, but they are also finding ways to enhance the value of this traditional production sector. This is the business of growing, caring for, and selling flowers and ornamental plants.

Ms. Le Thi Canh, from Kim Chi hamlet, Nghi An commune, has over 700 square meters of land planted with various flowers and many valuable ornamental plants. As one of the households with long experience in this profession, she shared: “My family has been doing this for decades. We grow many kinds of flowers, among which yellow chrysanthemums are in high demand. With prices ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 VND per flower sold at the garden, we earn 30 to 50 million VND annually.”

Caring for ornamental plants in Nghi An. Photo by Quang An.

Some households are actively earning extra income by offering services such as planting and caring for plants for restaurants and affluent families. Mr. Le Anh Tuan, a household growing ornamental plants, shared: "I usually grow ornamental plants that cost between 1 and 2 million VND, such as dwarf palm trees and cycads… The price isn't too high, but the demand is more stable. On average, it helps my family earn over 10 million VND per month."

To support the craft villages, the city and Nghi An commune have invested in building basic concrete roads within the hamlets, adding two new power stations, and constructing a standard cultural center worth nearly 1.3 billion VND. They also upgraded the drainage system for Kim Chi craft village at a cost of nearly 2 billion VND. Kim Phuc village also received investment for a secondary canal worth 3.6 billion VND.

In 2015, the number of households engaged in the ornamental plant and flower business in the three craft villages was 350, and by 2017, this number had increased to over 400, accounting for more than 70% of the total number of households. Average per capita income from the ornamental plant and flower business increased significantly, from 30 million VND/person in 2015 to over 50 million VND/person in 2017.

Therefore, the problem of employment for urban farmers after land reclamation does not necessarily require a change in occupation. In the era of integration and industrialization, many new directions are opening up for traditional agriculture by applying technology, linking it with processing and building brands to increase production value.

As agricultural land shrinks to make way for urbanization, a solid path forward for farmers lies in well-structured models that meet the highest market standards and demands, focusing on quality so that every inch of land truly becomes valuable.

Reporters' Team