Hai Phong identifies three breakthroughs to improve farmers' lives

During the two days of September 25–26, at the Vietnam-Czech Cultural Friendship Palace, the 10th Delegate Congress of Hai Phong City Farmers' Union, term 2023–2028, took place with the participation of 289 official delegates representing 190,000 officials, members, and farmers from districts in Hai Phong city.

After two days of effective and objective work, the Congress elected the Executive Committee of Hai Phong City Farmers’ Union, term X, with 29 members, and the Standing Committee with 9 members, in which Mr. Tran Quang Tuong was elected as Chairman. Two members, Mr. Nguyen Hong Hung and Mr. Hoang Van Tuong, were elected as Vice Chairmen.

Mr. Tran Quang Tuong, Chairman of the Hai Phong City Farmers' Union, said that the Congress has set out 15 targets and five groups of tasks and solutions to implement in the next five years. In particular, it is noteworthy that there will be three breakthroughs to focus on leading, directing, and implementing.

First, actively advise on building mechanisms and policies and mobilizing resources to create conditions for farmers to develop production and business, improve their lives, and reduce poverty sustainably.

Second, mobilize members and farmers to be at the forefront of participating in building new countryside and new model countryside. Third, focus on guiding members and farmers to develop OCOP products, thereby contributing to promoting production linkages, digital transformation, and actively bringing agricultural products to e-commerce platforms.

In the last five years, along with the development of services, infrastructure, and industry, Hai Phong City has developed many major projects and programs to develop agriculture, farmers, and rural areas. Of which, developing agriculture and rural areas sustainably is considered one of the especially important tasks, with adequate investment. The task aims to build Hai Phong with a balanced development between rural and urban areas, ecological agriculture, modern countryside, and civilized farmers catching up with global trends.

Although Hai Phong has a developed industry and service sector, the city’s agricultural production field has always been paid attention to and achieved important results. As of now, Hai Phong's agricultural production has developed towards industrialization and modernization, ecological agriculture, high-tech application, large-scale production, and food safety.

Besides, in Hai Phong, there had been some models of accumulating and concentrating land for large-scale production, bringing mechanization into production. Many areas specialize in growing vegetables, fruit trees, flowers, and ornamental plants, and some areas have transformed into models of high-tech and organic agricultural production.

In recent times, developing agricultural and rural production to improve farmers' income and lives has always received attention. Therefore, the farmers’ lives have improved, the poor have better access to economic resources and basic social services, and the per capita income in rural areas has reached a high level (over VND 63 million/person/year).

Major projects and key structures were started, accelerated, and put into operation, creating a new driving force for development. Many economic and social targets were achieved and exceeded the plan. This is an important basis for the city to have conditions to support agriculture, farmers, rural areas, policy families, and poor households.

In addition to the achieved results, in the last five years, agricultural production has faced many difficulties and challenges due to natural disasters, storms, floods, and saltwater intrusion, especially the COVID-19 pandemic, which has severely affected agricultural production. Service activities in agricultural production are not really effective, and the level of industrialization of agricultural production is still low.

Concentrated commodity production areas and high-tech agricultural production zones have not been replicated and developed. Ensuring output for agricultural products is still limited without solid linkages between producers and processing facilities, product consumption units, and between economic households and businesses.

Especially, attracting businesses to invest in agriculture still faces difficulties. Models of accumulating and concentrating land mainly derive from the needs and requirements of organizations and individuals and lack the State’s direction and specific mechanisms and policies.

In the coming time, the association's work and the Hai Phong farmers' movement will continue to have many advantages as well as difficulties. Many guidelines and policies of the Party, State, and city on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas that continue to be implemented will be the basis for “Port City” to develop, including developing agriculture and constructing a new model countryside.

As of now, Hai Phong has 171 products meeting OCOP standards with 3 stars or higher and 7 products with collective trademarks registered by the Farmers' Union. Of which, 88 OCOP products were supported and guided by the Farmers' Union at all levels. The city-level Farmers' Club with excellent production and business was established, with 54 members who are typical farmer members.

The Farmers' Union has helped 1,967 farming households escape poverty with a total amount of donations and support of more than VND 10.16 billion. The value of materials (plants, seeds), food, etc. mobilized to support reached over VND 8.2 billion, along with 15,108 working days. The Union has also supported the construction and repair of 131 "Farmer's Shelter" houses.