Vice President of Nghe An Farmers' Association: 'We do not trade in fertilizers'

(Baonghean.vn) – In response to the opinion that the Farmers' Association is "encroaching" on providing fertilizer services to farmers, Mr. Tran Van Huong - Permanent Vice Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Nghe An province affirmed that the Association does not trade in fertilizers.

Permanent Vice Chairman of Nghe An Farmers' Association Tran Van Huong speaks at the discussion session. Photo: Duc Anh

Mr. Tran Van Huong said this at the discussion session at the hall of the 5th session of the 17th Provincial People's Council on the morning of December 19. Accordingly, the representative of the Provincial Farmers' Association said that there were suggestions that the Farmers' Association should not assign fertilizer service targets and should not include them in the emulation scoring of the associations at all levels.

However, according to Mr. Huong's explanation, the Charter of the Vietnam Farmers' Union and Decision 673/2011 of the Prime Minister, the Farmers' Union has the duty to advise and support farmers.

Mr. Huong added: Resolution of the 12th Conference of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union in October 2017 identified 3 key tasks requiring all levels of the union to promote effective implementation.

That is to protect the rights of farmer members; promote effective service, consulting, support and vocational training activities for farmers; focus on coordinating with authorities at all levels to build collective economic models linked to value chains with inputs and outputs for farmers.

On that basis, Mr. Tran Van Huong affirmed: The Farmers' Association does not trade in fertilizers but is implementing according to the Charter, Decision 673 and Resolution of the Central Farmers' Association.

Accordingly, the Farmers' Association only supports farmers on the basis that when they need the association, it is recommended that the association act as a credit guarantee with businesses to give farmers loans with deferred payments to buy fertilizer.

And in fact, the Farmers' Association at all levels in Nghe An province has helped thousands of farming households with capital difficulties to invest in production, associated with the movement of farmers competing for good production, helping to get rich and reduce poverty sustainably in this way. "We affirm that this is effective and has received great support from farmers" - Mr. Huong shared.

However, according to him, in reality, due to inadequate dissemination, propaganda and education, some localities have not yet recognized this issue and have "this opinion, that opinion".

In particular, there are opinions from the grassroots that the organization of the association to help farmers borrow fertilizer has affected the activities of some cooperatives and some fertilizer kiosks in the area. "We do not do business so we do not compete with cooperatives and do not compete with any kiosk in the area" - the Standing Vice President of Nghe An Farmers' Association reaffirmed.

Regarding the assignment of targets, according to Mr. Huong, when the superiors have determined this to be a task, the Farmers' Association must set targets to compare "who is doing well, who is not".

However, the representative of the Nghe An Farmers' Association also admitted that in reality, there are a few cadres at all levels of the association who take advantage of this task to do wrong things and make profits; thereby, he requested the provincial People's Council delegates and all people to monitor and when detecting the above acts, report them to the higher-level association organization. "We are ready to accept and handle them" - Mr. Huong affirmed.

Thanh Duy