General Secretary: Farmers must be the subject of agricultural development

On the morning of December 26, the 8th National Congress of the Vietnam Farmers' Union, term 2023-2028, solemnly opened with the participation of 995 official delegates representing more than 10 million members and farmers nationwide.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and many other leaders and former leaders of the Party and State attended the congress.

The congress took place from December 25-27, focusing on discussing and setting out specific targets and tasks for the farmers' movement and the Vietnam Farmers' Union in the next 5 years.

Speaking at the congress, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong reviewed the great contributions of the peasant class and the Union throughout the historical process of building and developing the country. The Party and State highly appreciate the important contributions of farmers, contributing to the success of the new rural construction, making agriculture and the rural economy increasingly become a solid pillar of the national economy.

The General Secretary congratulated, respectfully commended and highly appreciated the efforts of the peasant class and Farmers' Associations at all levels nationwide.

However, the General Secretary also pointed out that the Association's work and the farmers' movement have not yet caught up with the practical requirements of the country's situation, and have not kept up with the rapid development of technological society and deep international integration.

The activities of the Association at all levels in some places are still slow to innovate and are not very effective; services, consulting, support, and vocational training are still small-scale and not diverse. Grasping the thoughts, aspirations, difficulties, and problems of farmers is sometimes and in some places not timely. The development of the farmers' movement is not uniform; cooperation and linkage in production and business are still not sustainable...

In the context of developing ecological agriculture, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said that farmers need to have changes in thinking and action to truly be the subject and center of the process of developing agriculture and rural economy associated with building new rural areas.

In the trend of decreasing and aging number of farmers, surplus labor in urban areas and industrial zones will move to rural areas to seek livelihood from agriculture. Therefore, Vietnam Farmers’ Union at all levels needs to innovate its working methods to be on par with its tasks; capable of accompanying, helping and supporting farmers in the next 5 years and beyond.

The General Secretary earnestly called on and suggested that Farmers' Associations at all levels continue to innovate more strongly in content and methods, improve the quality and effectiveness of the association's activities, and "absolutely not be subjective or complacent". Building the Vietnam Farmers' Association increasingly strong, truly an organization representing the legitimate and legal rights and interests of farmers.

The Farmers' Association needs to promote its role as the center and core of the farmers' movement, as a bridge between farmers and the Party and the State; and as an active factor in the great national unity bloc and the "workers - farmers - intellectuals" alliance.

The innovation of the Association's content and methods of operation must meet the requirements of improving the qualifications, material and spiritual life of farmers; promoting the role of farmers as the subject and center in developing agriculture, rural economy and building new rural areas.

The General Secretary requested that all levels of the Farmers' Union continue to consolidate and improve the organization to ensure streamlined, effective and creative operations. Build a contingent of Farmers' Union officials at all levels to ensure quantity, quality, and sufficient qualities and capacity to meet the requirements of tasks in the new situation, especially at the grassroots level.

Union officials at all levels must improve their awareness, qualifications, and capacity in international integration and cooperation, and professional skills; combine training and fostering of political theory with professional work of the Farmers' Union; pay attention to the group of heads of Farmers' Unions, and improve the quality of members.

The General Secretary requested to increase participation in training and vocational training for farmers and rural workers; promote and mobilize farmers to participate in vocational training; provide advice on careers, employment, business establishment, farms and production and business establishments.

The Associations at all levels play a good role as focal points, coordinate communication organization and participate in training and vocational training for rural workers associated with good farmer production and business models; organize well the supply of agricultural equipment and materials, support farmers to invest in production, farming, livestock...

Associations at all levels need to actively participate in developing collective economy in agriculture, focusing on mobilizing, guiding and supporting farmers to establish cooperatives and cooperative groups; effectively implementing linkage and cooperation models along the value chain...

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized the need to innovate and improve the quality and effectiveness of participation in supervision and social criticism by Farmers' Associations at all levels, especially in matters related to agriculture, farmers, and rural areas.

Farmers' Associations at all levels promote farmers' mastery at the grassroots level, participate in resolving and reconciling internal conflicts in rural areas, address farmers' difficulties and concerns, and maintain solidarity. Farmers' Associations at all levels need to proactively and actively participate in international integration and cooperation expansion.

The General Secretary said that it is necessary to promote the role of farmers in introducing goods and agricultural products to farmers in other countries. The General Secretary suggested: "Our country's market is large and relations with other countries in agricultural cooperation can be further strengthened."

The General Secretary believes that the work of the Association and the farmers' movement will have new developments, stronger and more creative than ever for a prosperous and happy Vietnam, "rich people, strong country, democracy, fairness and civilization".