Prime Minister: Farmers play an important role in the market economy

On the afternoon of December 12, the Central Steering Committee for Project 61 held a national online conference to evaluate the results of 10 years of implementing Conclusion No. 61-KL/TW, dated December 3, 2009 of the Secretariat on the Project "Enhancing the role and responsibility of the Vietnam Farmers' Union in agricultural development, new rural construction and building the Vietnamese peasant class in the period 2010 - 2020" (referred to as Project 61) and Decision No. 673/QD-TTg, dated May 10, 2011 of the Prime Minister "On the Vietnam Farmers' Union directly implementing and coordinating the implementation of a number of programs and projects on rural economic, cultural and social development in the period 2011 - 2020".

Comrades: Nguyen Xuan Phuc - Politburo member, Prime Minister; Truong Thi Mai - Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Mass Mobilization Commission, Head of the Central Steering Committee for the implementation of Project 61; Thao Xuan Sung - Party Central Committee member, Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union; Nguyen Phuoc Loc - Deputy Head of the Central Mass Mobilization Commission co-chaired the conference.

At Nghe An bridge, comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee chaired the conference. Also attending were representatives of leaders of relevant departments, branches and sectors.

Panorama of the conference at Nghe An bridge. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Over 1 million poor households have production resources

The report of the Central Steering Committee for the implementation of Project 61 said: In 10 years of implementing Conclusion No. 61-KL/TW, the Central Steering Committee for Project 61 and localities, Party committees, authorities andFarmers Associationhas done a good job of disseminating, popularizing, propagating, raising awareness and responsibility for cadres, party members and people.

Every year, good farmers and business households at all levels have helped over 220,000 poor households with agricultural materials, labor days, product consumption... worth over 4,800 billion VND. Creating jobs on the spot for more than 11 million workers, helping over 1 million poor households have more resources to develop production, 100,000 farming households escape poverty; rural income reached 35.88 million VND/person (in 2018), an increase of 3.92 times (reaching 156.8% compared to the Project's target). The rural poverty rate decreased by an average of about 1.5%/year, by 2020 it is estimated to be below 3%.

Comrade Nguyen Van Thong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee chaired at Nghe An bridge point. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Pursuant to Decision No. 673/QD-TTg ofPrime Minister, Vietnam Farmers' Union has developed and implemented the Project "Innovation and improvement of the efficiency of the Farmers' Support Fund" with many positive results. The Farmers' Support Fund system has been improved at 3 levels: Central, provincial and district.

Over the past 10 years, the Government has provided 660 billion VND to supplement the Central Farmers Support Fund; 63 provinces and cities have provided nearly 2 trillion VND to the Farmers Support Fund at all levels in the locality, bringing the total capital of the Farmers Support Fund of the entire Association system to over 3.6 trillion VND.

At the conference, localities proposed a number of recommendations to the Government: Continue to issue new policies to help rural areas escape poverty more quickly; Continue to provide vocational training for rural workers. There should be a specific mechanism for farmers' associations at all levels to directly participate in policies and guidelines on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas in accordance with the functions and tasks of the association...

Nghe An's poverty rate is still 3%

To implement Conclusion 61-KL/TW of the Secretariat and Decision No. 673/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister, the Provincial Party Standing Committee has directed the Provincial People's Committee and departments, branches, Party committees and authorities at all levels to pay attention to creating conditions for Farmers' Associations at all levels in the province to directly and jointly participate in a number of programs, projects and projects on economic, social and cultural development; provide additional funding for the Farmers' Support Fund, support funding to build and replicate effective economic models, coordinate for Farmers' Associations to monitor and criticize mechanisms and policies related to the fields of agriculture, farmers and rural areas.

Farmers in Dien Chau district produce winter crop. Photo: Xuan Hoang

From 2012 to present, 21/21 district-level units have received additional budget allocations from the People's Committee to supplement the Farmers' Support Fund and the Provincial Farmers' Association Standing Committee has focused on directing all levels of associations in the province to build and develop the Association's fund and the Farmers' Support Fund. As a result, as of October 30, 2020, the total capital of the Farmers' Support Fund under management in the province is 68,354 million VND. The above capital has been focused on investing in building 261 production and business models for 2,023 farmer households to borrow capital.

The average annual growth rate of agricultural, forestry and fishery production value reached 4.47%. The construction of socio-economic infrastructure in rural areas has been increasingly innovated according to new rural standards: The total number of kilometers of traffic built and upgraded in the whole province is 10,370.4 km, 3,349 km of canals of all kinds have been built, and hundreds of irrigation works have been renovated and upgraded.

The whole province has built and upgraded 5,528.7 km of power lines of all kinds; 992/1,452 schools at all levels have met national standards. The rate of people using hygienic water according to standards reached 84.5%... By the end of 2020, the poverty rate was 3%; the average income per capita in rural areas is estimated at over 22.6 million VND/person/year. The whole province has 246 communes meeting new rural standards, with 4 district-level units meeting new rural standards.

A corner of the new rural area of ​​Son Thanh commune (Yen Thanh). Photo: Xuan Hoang

Farmers are an important pillar in the market economy.

Speaking at the conference,Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuchighly appreciated the implementation direction of the Steering Committee for Project 61 and farmers' associations at all levels over the past 10 years. However, the Prime Minister pointed out some shortcomings, which are: Low synchronization; some Party committees have not yet established Steering Committee 61; some places have not yet established funds to support farmers. There is still a situation where some vocational training centers have shortcomings in vocational training for farmers.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc directed: Identifying farmers as an important pillar in the market economy, in the coming period, all levels of associationsfarmerIt is necessary to continue to build a new class of farmers, apply science and technology, innovate thinking and working methods. The Vietnam Farmers' Association needs to promote propaganda work, raise awareness of all levels, sectors, cadres, party members, people and farmer members about the role and position of agriculture, farmers and rural areas in the period of promoting industrialization, modernization of the country and international integration.

Continue to innovate the content and methods of operation of the farmers' association, in which it is necessary to pay attention to ethnic minorities. Especially solidarity in rural areas so that farmers can enrich themselves legitimately, with suitable jobs.

The Prime Minister hopes that, in the new development period, the Vietnam Farmers' Union as well as the farmers' movement nationwide will promote good traditions and continue to develop more strongly to actively contribute to the country's sustainable development.