Creative ways in building new rural areas of Nghe An Farmers' Association

“Double benefits” from the cooperative model

In order to help farmers organize production and business effectively, starting from 2013, the VietGAP standard chicken farming cooperative in Nghia Long commune (Nghia Dan) was established. By April 2018, Long Tien chicken farming cooperative was established, consisting of 13 members with a farming scale of up to 54,000 chickens/year, selling about 150 tons of chicken to the market each year, with a profit of nearly 3 billion VND.

Mr. Dang Tho An's melon model in Nghi Truong commune, Nghi Loc. Photo courtesy of Thu Hien

By joining the cooperative, members are supported with loans; trained in raising chickens according to VietGAP standards. “By joining together, we buy chicken breeds and feed together, so the cost is cheaper; we exchange experiences and support each other in disease prevention; we join together in consumption, so the output is stable and the price is not forced down”, said Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha - Director of Long Tien Chicken Raising Cooperative.

In March 2019, the fish sauce production association group in Block 7, Nghi Thuy Ward (Cua Lo Town) was officially established. The group has 20 households specializing in fish sauce production. Once a month, members meet to promote, mobilize and supervise households to produce clean and safe fish sauce; convert plastic tanks to cement tanks, fish sauce containers into earthenware jars; preserve the craft village environment; change packaging methods to attract tourists...

Linkage in livestock farming brings high efficiency in Nghia Long commune (Nghia Dan). Photo: Thanh Phuc

Up to now, the outstanding loan balance of the Social Policy Bank is 2,453 billion VND, the Agricultural Bank is 460 billion VND for nearly 80,000 farmer households to borrow; the total capital of the Farmers Support Fund in the province reaches 58,208 billion VND, investing in building 231 production models with 4,446 farmer households borrowing.

Farmers' Associations at all levels have taken out loans from various sources; supported farmers from the Farmers' Support Fund. Photo: TP

As of August 30, 2019, the province has established 121 professional associations and 313 cooperatives. Currently, the Provincial Farmers' Association is developing a project "Enhancing the role and responsibility of associations in participating in building effective production and business cooperatives in the period of 2020 - 2023", with the policy of prioritizing capital for production and business projects in the form of association and cooperation...

Creativity in building new rural standard gardens

From the reality of households in some communes in the district, it is realized that the garden land fund has not been used for economic purposes, causing waste. Most of the garden land is large but mainly planted with worthless plants, many gardens are abandoned, the number of mixed gardens accounts for a large proportion. Partly, people's awareness of household garden economy is still limited, partly due to lack of orientation, lack of knowledge, lack of information about gardening...

Faced with that situation, the Farmers' Association of Do Luong district launched a movement to renovate mixed gardens and build model gardens that meet new rural standards. However, through a survey, the number of households with enough area of ​​500m²According to regulations, there are quite a few, especially in central localities such as: Town, Da Son, Luu Son, Dang Son, Hoa Son, Yen Son...

Clean vegetable production model of Nam Anh safe vegetable and fruit cooperative, Nam Dan district. Photo courtesy of Xuan Hoang

Therefore, in addition to selecting gardens with sufficient area according to the regulations for building standard model gardens, the association also encourages members to carry out the movement of renovating mixed gardens and making beautiful gardens. Small gardens only grow a few fruit trees, while the main planning is for safe vegetables, providing food for family meals and selling to the market.

The Farmers' Association of Do Luong district has had a creative approach, which is to mobilize members to contribute bricks to build paths in the garden (from 1,000 bricks - 2,000 bricks/garden); use the Association's operating fund to buy seedlings for households; mobilize members to help each other with working days to renovate the garden; use funds for fruit tree growing training classes to buy seedlings for households to build model gardens.

Up to now, the whole district has built 40 model gardens in 26 communes, and transformed dozens of mixed gardens into beautiful gardens with economic value. Typical communes include: Boi Son, Nam Son, Trung Son Da Son, My Son, Trang Son, Giang Son Tay, Thinh Son, Hien Son...

“In addition to propaganda and mobilization, the Farmers’ Association also has its own creativity and flexible application in supporting members in building and renovating gardens. Specifically: Supporting each other with working days and seeds; supporting bricks; calling on fertilizer companies to help with materials for gardening households...”.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Xuan - Chairman of Do Luong District Farmers' Association

At the same time, open training courses on building new rural standard gardens; training on techniques for planting and caring for fruit trees in localities, attracting a large number of farmers to participate.

After visiting and learning about the model and understanding more about science and technology, the District Farmers' Association directed each association to select 2-3 models to build standard gardens. For the 2 resettlement communes, the District Farmers' Association directly directed and mobilized resources to help 2 households renovate and build standard gardens.

A corner of Dien Chau new countryside. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Sach

In addition to supporting households in planning their gardens, the Farmers' Association at all levels also mobilizes members to help with working days, partially support the cost of building roads and median strips between crops to facilitate care and pest control; build irrigation systems, organize scientific and technical training for households and act as a bridge in providing seeds and providing deferred fertilizer loans to build standard gardens. Up to now, the whole district has organized the installation of signs for nearly 100 standard gardens built by farmers.

Nghe An: When farmers are the main subjects in building new rural areas

(Baonghean) - Over the past 10 years, in the picture of building new rural areas in Nghe An, Farmers' Associations at all levels have left good impressions, recognized and highly appreciated by the people and the government...