Community agricultural extension - A historical milestone

A historical milestone

According to the National Agricultural Extension Center, after nearly 4 years of implementing the pilot project “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Agricultural Extension through the Consolidation of Community Agricultural Extension Groups,” the model has proven sound and left many historic marks.

Following Resolution No. 19 of the Party Central Committee and the Prime Minister’s approval of the strategy for sustainable agricultural, rural, and farmer development, on March 25, 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) approved the pilot project “Enhancing the Effectiveness of Agricultural Extension through the Consolidation of Community Agricultural Extension Groups.”

The project’s overarching goal is to connect the agricultural extension system with businesses, socio-political organizations, and professional associations to contribute to building an efficient and sustainable agriculture sector - one oriented toward ecological farming, modern rural areas, and cultured, progressive farmers.

The project was implemented in 13 provinces (before mergers) across five key raw material regions, aiming to consolidate and strengthen the grassroots agricultural extension system through multifunctional community agricultural extension groups. These groups not only support sectoral restructuring and rural development but also promote the development of raw material regions, thereby enhancing productivity, quality, and the added value of agricultural products.

Soon after implementation, the project received attention and guidance from central ministries, strong support from local authorities, and active participation from a wide range of businesses, cooperatives, and farmers.

Specifically, after nearly 4 years, 34 provinces and cities nationwide (post-merger) have established 5,187 community agricultural extension groups with 47,493 members. Among these, the pilot project includes 26 groups with 156 members, while the remaining 5,161 groups with 47,337 members were established outside the pilot.

Members of these community agricultural extension groups are primarily local leaders, commune officials, and representatives of regional associations and organizations (farmers’ unions, youth unions, women’s unions, veterans’ associations, cooperatives, businesses…), as well as cooperative representatives and accomplished farmers.

The historical significance of the community agricultural extension model is fully reflected in agricultural, farmer, and rural activities across localities. Community extension members actively participate in transferring technical advancements and supporting local authorities and residents.

In particular, within the five key raw material regions, community agricultural extension groups have provided advice and support to nearly 100 cooperatives covering over 10,000 hectares, helping integrate agrarian extension programs and projects so that cooperatives can strengthen development and apply scientific and technical advances in production. Some community extension groups have offered services to cooperative members, including guidance on new technical methods, organic production practices, reducing pesticide residues in crops, and producing high-quality commodities linked to processing and product consumption.

In these major raw material regions, the tireless efforts of community extension members have also helped organize value-chain-based production linkages and develop agricultural and forestry raw material areas that meet quality standards.

Notably, community agricultural extension groups have facilitated connections between farmers, cooperatives, and companies such as Dong Giao Export Food Joint Stock Company (DOVECO) in Son La, Nafoods Tay Nguyen Joint Stock Company in Gia Lai, T9 Agro-Import-Export Co., Ltd. in Phu Tho, Vinh Hiep Co., Ltd., Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company, and Que Lam Group, implementing production value chains in crop cultivation, livestock, and aquaculture.

In the Mekong Delta, these community extension groups have worked with businesses to identify sourcing areas for raw materials for product procurement agreements, organized link-up conferences between farmers and companies to trace the origins of key agricultural products, and provided advisory and digital transformation services. Many groups have actively participated in community support activities at the local level.

The National Agricultural Extension Center’s report also affirms that after nearly four years of implementation, the community agricultural extension project has shown positive results, receiving strong support from all levels and sectors, with active participation from the political system, businesses, cooperatives, and farmers.

The project’s effectiveness and impact have helped reaffirm the roles and missions of the agricultural extension system and community extension groups in farm development and new rural construction, fostering consensus on awareness and extension activities. It has contributed to changing mindsets within the extension system, consolidating the grassroots agricultural extension network at the commune level without altering the existing organizational structure or staffing, and reorganizing local extension forces to carry out extension work more effectively.

At the same time, the project has helped innovate and diversify the functions and activities of grassroots agricultural extension, from primarily transferring scientific and technical knowledge for production to providing information, guiding in management and business skills, market development, and environmental protection, moving toward demand-driven, service-oriented agricultural extension.

Moreover, the project has helped shift thinking about agricultural production and promote farmers' knowledge, especially in raw-material regions, where farmers have been organized into cooperative groups and cooperatives. They now participate in production linkages under contracts with businesses, following processes, standards, and quality requirements demanded by the market. This has expanded the reach of agricultural extension, attracted active participation from agribusinesses and cooperatives, and promoted the socialization of extension services.

Based on the project’s outcomes, it can be affirmed that community agricultural extension is a sound development direction. It effectively connects the agrarian extension system with businesses, cooperatives, and socio-political and professional organizations to better support farmers in reorganizing production, applying technical advancements and practical solutions, improving livelihoods, increasing income, and contributing to the development of an efficient and sustainable agricultural sector.

A new era, a new agricultural extension

July 1, 2025, marked a historic milestone for the nation in reforming the national administrative system to meet the country’s new development requirements. The implementation of a two-tier local government model opened up new development opportunities for the political system as a whole and society.

This shift in local government structure has affected the establishment decisions for community agricultural extension groups, rendering some outdated. Membership in these groups has changed, and many localities have yet to review, assess, and issue decisions on reorganizing or establishing new groups. As a result, the community agricultural extension model is currently facing interruptions.

In response to this situation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has issued a circular providing guidance and directing commune-level People’s Committees to review, consolidate, and reorganize community agricultural extension groups in line with local conditions.

Accordingly, community agricultural extension groups are identified as voluntary organizations that play a core role, closely connected to the grassroots. They act as a bridge between farmers, local authorities, businesses, cooperatives, and other organizations or individuals participating in extension activities, while promoting the socialization of agricultural extension in the locality.

These groups are an essential support force, helping farmers access technical advancements, organize safe and sustainable production, and meet market requirements, serving as the “extended arm” of the agricultural sector at the grassroots level.

Mr. Le Quoc Thanh, Director of the National Agricultural Extension Center, stated that entering a new era, where the mindset of accompanying and serving the people is increasingly realized, means that the mission of each agricultural extension officer as a “seed sower” will be carried out with greater responsibility, professionalism, and modernity. The Center will continue to promote training and capacity-building activities for community agricultural extension groups and to organize communication campaigns to raise awareness of community-based agricultural extension.

Mr. Thanh also urged provincial and municipal People’s Committees to issue supportive policies, allocate funding, and provide material resources to enable community agricultural extension groups to operate effectively. He encouraged businesses and cooperatives to actively engage with these groups, working under a multi-value integration approach to mutual development.