Honoring the 63 most outstanding farmers nationwide.

The most outstanding and compassionate Vietnamese farmer is Mr. Dang Quang Huu from Quang Tri province. Mr. Huu has lent approximately 1.5 billion VND to about 600 poor households to plant forests.

On the evening of October 14th, at the Hanoi Grand Theatre, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association, in coordination with the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Industry and Trade, organized the Ceremony to Honor and Award the Title of Outstanding Vietnamese Farmers of 2016.

Attending the ceremony and presenting the title of Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer were Comrade Tran Dai Quang, Member of the Political Bureau and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, along with many leaders of the Party, central ministries and agencies, and the city of Hanoi.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association has chaired and coordinated with ministries and agencies to organize the Award Ceremony for Outstanding Vietnamese Farmers. This is a key activity in the "Proud Vietnamese Farmers" Program.

Speaking at the ceremony, President Tran Dai Quang emphasized that agriculture, farmers, and rural areas hold a strategic position in the cause of industrialization, modernization, national construction and defense. They are the foundation and important force for sustainable socio-economic development, maintaining political stability, ensuring national defense and security, preserving and promoting national cultural identity, and protecting the country's environment and ecosystems.

Over the years, following the reform policy and under the leadership of the Party and State, Vietnam's agriculture, farmers, and rural areas have achieved tremendous successes. Agriculture continues to develop towards commodity production, improving productivity, quality, and efficiency, ensuring national food security. The rural economy is shifting towards increased industry, services, and trades; socio-economic infrastructure is being strengthened; the face of rural areas is undergoing many changes; and the material and spiritual lives of farmers are constantly improving.

The political standing of the peasantry is increasingly being enhanced. Among these achievements, the Vietnam Farmers' Association plays a crucial role and makes significant contributions, especially in agricultural development, rural development, and the building of the Vietnamese peasantry. The immense contributions of the peasantry – a force comprising nearly 70% of the population and almost 50% of the national workforce – to the cause of national construction, protection, and development have been recognized and highly appreciated by the Party, the State, and the people, who have bestowed upon them numerous prestigious awards and titles.

At tonight's awards ceremony, 63 farmers will be awarded the title of Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer, representing 63 provinces and cities nationwide. According to the criteria of the Program Organizing Committee, four groups of exemplary farmers were selected, including: Farmers with outstanding achievements in the production and business of agricultural products (crop cultivation, livestock farming, aquaculture, forestry, agricultural services); Farmers with outstanding achievements in the New Rural Development movement; Farmers with outstanding achievements in the National Movement for the Protection of National Security and Sovereignty; and Farmers with scientific innovations and inventions that have been applied and brought high economic and social benefits to agricultural production.

In this year's selection process, 63 provinces and cities submitted applications from 133 candidates. The final selection committee, comprising 10 members from the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Central Propaganda Department, Vietnam Television, and the Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Rural Today) Newspaper, carefully reviewed the applications to select the 63 "Outstanding Vietnamese Farmers of 2016".

Among the 63 Outstanding Farmers in 2016, 49 were male and 14 were female; 9 were from ethnic minority groups; 51 were successful in production and business; 5 had achievements in contributing to national defense and security; 5 had inventions, innovations, and technical solutions; 2 had achievements in building new rural areas; many of the Outstanding Farmers of 2016 were both successful in production and business and had achievements in contributing to national defense and security, protecting borders, or were both farmers with innovations and technical solutions and successful in production and business, or were both excellent farmers and people who made significant contributions to building new rural areas in their localities.

Here is some interesting information about the "Outstanding Vietnamese Farmers of 2016":

- The oldest outstanding Vietnamese farmer: Mr. Phu Van Khen (born in 1942) from Kien Giang province.

- The youngest outstanding Vietnamese farmer: Mr. Truong Van Phuc (born in 1984) from Tien Giang.

- The most outstanding and compassionate Vietnamese farmer: Mr. Dang Quang Huu from Quang Tri. Mr. Huu lent approximately 1.5 billion VND to about 600 poor households to plant forests.

- The most successful Vietnamese farmer with the highest revenue: Ms. Le Thi Tha from Quang Ninh. With her business model focusing on safe food, animal feed, livestock, crops, and aquaculture, Ms. Tha earns 35 billion VND annually.

- The outstanding Vietnamese farmer of 2016 with the highest profit margin: Mr. Phan Van Chung from Vinh Long. With 14 hectares of mandarin oranges, Mr. Chung earns 20 billion VND in revenue and 6.5 billion VND in profit each year.

- The Vietnamese farmer with the most land accumulation is Mr. Huynh Khac Vu from Phu Yen, with 104 hectares of sugarcane and cassava cultivation. Mr. Huynh Khac Vu is also the largest employer, with 120 workers.

Huu Vinh-Tuan Anh/baotintuc