Prime Minister: Farmers need to enhance their self-reliance, not accept poverty, and fulfill their desire to get rich.

On the afternoon of December 30, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a dialogue conference with Vietnamese farmers in 2023 with the theme: Farmers are the subject and center in agricultural development, rural economy and building green and sustainable new rural areas.

Attending the conference at the Government Office bridge were leaders of ministries and branches, along with over 70 typical farmers, representing 10.2 million farmer households nationwide.

At Nghe An province, comrades: Nguyen Duc Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Nguyen Van De - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee chaired.

MANY HOT ISSUES SENT TO THE PRIME MINISTER

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union Luong Quoc Doan said that through the four times of organizing the Conference of the Prime Minister's dialogue with farmers, many existing problems, difficulties, obstacles and shortcomings in implementing policies on agricultural, farmer and rural development have been directed by the Prime Minister to be focused on by central and local ministries, branches and sectors, creating a clear change in agricultural development, rural economy and new rural construction, which has been widely agreed upon and actively responded to by farmers.

The 2023 Prime Minister's Dialogue Conference with Vietnamese Farmers took place right after the Politburo issued Resolution No. 46-NQ/TW dated December 20, 2023 on innovation and improving the quality of activities of the Vietnam Farmers' Union to meet the revolutionary requirements in the new period and the successful conclusion of the National Congress of the Vietnam Farmers' Union for the 2023-2028 term. Therefore, the Conference is of special importance, a great encouragement and motivation for cadres and farmer members nationwide.

After a period of widely collecting opinions, there were nearly 2,000 proposals, wishes, and recommendations from officials, farmer members, experts, scientists, and people nationwide sent to the head of the Government.

At the conference, many farmers continued to express their opinions on the need for policies to promote thinking from production to economic thinking in agriculture; policies for farmers to participate in the Project to develop 1 million hectares of high-quality rice; policies for coffee growers on land originating from deforestation and forest degradation; policies to support farmers in agricultural tourism; policies to develop shrimp farming and rice growing ecosystems.

Many farmers also sent questions to the Prime Minister and leaders of ministries and branches about policies to support farmers in participating in digital transformation; support farmers in getting credit loans; and petitioned the Government to prioritize investment support in planning and building concentrated raw material areas; associated with building processing plants, creating sustainable value chains, harmonizing the interests of farmers and businesses.

Questioning the Prime Minister, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thanh Chuong District Nguyen Xuan Khanh said that there is currently a group of rural workers who are children of farmers who work as workers in cities, urban areas or are exported to work, and now return to their hometowns, bringing with them many complications in terms of work, life and social security. "What solutions does the Government and relevant agencies have to support and solve employment for unemployed workers returning to rural areas?" Mr. Khanh asked.

Leaders of central ministries and branches directly responded and clarified farmers' opinions. The Prime Minister discussed and clarified the issues that farmers were concerned about.

The Prime Minister also requested ministries and branches to promptly remove difficulties and obstacles so that farmers can confidently invest in production and business, promote farmers' creativity to successfully achieve the goal of developing the agricultural economy and building a green and sustainable new countryside.

PROMOTING THE ROLE OF FARMERS AS SUBJECTS IN THE AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY

Concluding the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh assessed that the dialogue conference took place democratically, comfortably, frankly and enthusiastically; the dialogue contents covered the current issues farmers are facing.

The Party and the State have many policies and guidelines for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. Implementing the Party's guidelines, in 2023, the agricultural sector will play a supporting role, a premise for the country's development, making a great contribution to export turnover, contributing to the growth rate, exporting over 8 billion tons of rice, reaching 4.8 billion USD.

The new rural development program in many localities has achieved high results. The contribution of agriculture, rural areas and farmers to the development of the country is extremely important, bringing the country to develop quickly and sustainably. However, there are still many problems in agriculture, rural areas and farmers.

In the coming time, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh suggested continuing to promote patriotism, self-reliance, determination, not accepting poverty and backwardness, realizing the aspiration to get rich, contributing to the development of smart agriculture, modern countryside and intellectual farmers to promote the country's rapid and sustainable development.

Farmers' union members and officials nationwide continue to strive and be enthusiastic in labor, production and business, promote the good qualities of farmers, actively build modern countryside and civilized farmers; participate in socio-economic development, and ensure national defense and security.

Strengthen propaganda and mobilization work, focus on political and ideological education, raise awareness, arouse patriotism and national pride; promote patriotic emulation movements and campaigns among farmers.

Raising farmers' awareness of developing large-scale commodities, smart, clean, safe agriculture, enhancing the application of science and technology, actively integrating internationally, adapting to climate change, turning danger into opportunity, and leaving no one behind.

Changing the mindset from agricultural production to agricultural economy, multi-value linked to domestic and export market demand, eliminating barriers of small-scale, fragmented, and individual thinking and practices; building ecological agriculture in a modern, environmentally friendly direction, accelerating the industrialization and modernization of agriculture and rural areas; increasing productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness of the agricultural economy, improving farmers' income and life.

Ministries, branches and localities urgently direct people to actively and effectively participate in the project of sustainable development of 1 million hectares of high-quality wet rice cultivation, associated with rapid growth; reorganize production, strengthen linkages along the value chain, link production with processing and consumption of agricultural products, develop forms of cooperation, ensure harmony of interests of participating entities, healthy but effective competition, diversify markets and supply chains.

The Prime Minister also requested to fully recognize the role of farmers as the main subject in agricultural development, rural economy, and new rural construction. Propaganda and mobilization of farmers to actively participate in national target programs, patriotic emulation movements, and campaigns; improve the quality of vocational training, fostering for farmers, rural workers, and service activities to support farmers in developing production and business; enhance knowledge and skills training for farmers; support capital for farmers...