"Quick-fix" thinking

(Baonghean) - In recent years, the rejection and return of Vietnamese agricultural products, vegetables, fruits, and seafood exports by foreign partners has not been uncommon. Each time this happens, lessons are learned, production plans are rearranged, and crop and livestock structures are restructured; especially the "campaign" to reform the distribution system... But in reality, farmers and businesses are still engaging in short-sighted, opportunistic practices.

Not long ago, hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of timber from farmers' planted forests piled up as rotting wood because of violations of local forest planting plans. Seeing the immediate profit after the policy of allocating forest land for contract farming, farmers rushed to plant paper-making raw materials without following the plan, leading to an oversupply. Businesses, despite lacking sufficient financial capacity, still registered and "lobbyed" to be prioritized for building processing plants, inaugurating them only to then abandon them, while the raw material areas were continuously promoted as expanding. Ultimately, farmers were left weeping over their planted forests ready for harvest, but the businesses were nowhere to be seen.

Thousands of trucks and containers, stretching for dozens of kilometers, line up at the Lang Son border gate waiting for customs clearance to enter China, primarily carrying vegetables and fruits, has become an annual occurrence. This isn't a one-time or two-time occurrence; every year during the peak watermelon season in Vietnam, this situation recurs. The delays in customs clearance aren't just about customs procedures; they stem from farmers' shady dealings with Chinese middlemen. This loosely connected system, based solely on trust, inevitably leads to unsold and spoiled produce. Meanwhile, the role of local authorities, cooperative alliances, and Vietnamese businesses remains largely insignificant. Farmers are spontaneously expanding their raw material areas in a haphazard, individualistic manner. At the beginning of the season, they were bought up at high prices, with contracts based on "trust," without any persuasion or knowledge of planning; they just planted and then suffered the consequences at the end of the season.

The Party's policy on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas is clearly stated in Resolution No. 26, 7th Plenum of the 10th Central Committee. However, concretizing this issue depends on the Party committees and local governments. The government cannot simply step in and do the work of local authorities in raising crops and livestock. Local governments must carefully consider and plan for crops and livestock that yield high incomes for farmers, taking into account the climate, weather, and soil conditions. The government and farmers must establish sustainable links with businesses, and there must be someone to take responsibility if any party in the supply chain breaks the contract. Farmers should not be left empty-handed when crops fail, and more importantly, businesses should not be "burdened" when they come to invest in the agricultural sector in the locality.

Linking, replanning production, and providing guidance to farmers is an urgent task. Businesses must immediately abandon unhealthy mindsets such as lowering prices, competing for customers, hoarding goods, creating artificial shortages, and colluding with producers to control the market. Farmers themselves need not only be diligent and hardworking, but also proactive in production and consciously build brands for their products. If these issues are not rectified, sooner or later Vietnamese farmers and businesses will perish on their own land, let alone expand globally.

Le Van Tri(Anh Son District Fatherland Front Committee)