Hero of Labor Tran Manh Bao

The 9th National Farmers' Forum in 2024 with the theme: "Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Union - Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development listens to farmers speak", jointly organized by the Vietnam Farmers' Union and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hanoi on October 14, had more than 20 delegates who are outstanding Vietnamese farmers, representatives of cooperatives, grassroots Farmers' Union officials and enterprises speaking, expressing wishes, recommendations and proposing "hot" issues.

Representing enterprises operating in the agricultural sector, Labor Hero Tran Manh Bao, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ThaiBinh Seed Group, said that the inevitable trend is to build a sustainable agricultural development. To do so, first, we must rebuild the agricultural production system, re-plan agricultural production, and re-calculate what to plant and what to raise.

Hero of Labor Tran Manh Bao - Chairman of the Board of Directors of ThaiBinh Seed Group. Photo: Dan Viet

Second, we build laws but must implement them so that "the king's law is not inferior to the village's custom". To do that, decrees and guiding circulars must be specific, and localities must get involved. Otherwise, "the law is in the sky", but the infrastructure below does not follow, causing difficulties for farmers and businesses.

Third, we must build new types of cooperatives. I visited some cooperative models in Canada, they are very impressive, their annual revenue is up to 7 billion USD. There, cooperatives represent farmers linked with businesses, the relationship between cooperatives and farmers is very close.

Fourth, there must be a mechanism for public-private linkages, between scientists, research institutes, schools, and businesses. Fifth, it is necessary to help farmers apply digital technology in production, thereby providing information to managers easily and conveniently.

"Finally, we need to do a good job of community agricultural extension. If we only have an agricultural extension system, we will not be able to connect people. The whole society must do agricultural extension together. I believe that with our unity, farmers will become entrepreneurs, cooperatives will become enterprises, and the countryside will become a place of sustainable development," Mr. Tran Manh Bao affirmed.

Chairman of ThaiBinh Seed Group presents 5 solutions to build sustainable agricultural development.

Regarding the issues raised by Mr. Tran Manh Bao regarding the new cooperative model, Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Association Luong Quoc Doan said: The Vietnam Farmers' Association has been very active in developing cooperatives, but in reality, it is still very fragile, especially when establishing cooperatives. Even linking cooperatives together is difficult, but it has not been as expected, the cooperatives are still small, and support is not significant. In Japan, 80% of fertilizers go through cooperatives before reaching farmers, but we are trying step by step.

Next, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan affirmed that without the spirit of cooperation, there will never be cooperatives, and no one can succeed alone.

"If production is too small, it will not be able to stir up the market. We must link up through cooperatives. The 63 cooperatives here will spread the cooperative spirit and the spirit of excellent farmers to the community to attract people to participate. I also hope that businesses will join us in building cooperatives, helping people enjoy exclusive benefits when participating in cooperatives. Only then can we promote the collective economy to develop in the right direction and in the long term," said Mr. Le Minh Hoan.

Regarding community agricultural extension solutions, Minister Le Minh Hoan once again emphasized the pioneering, exemplary role and spirit of outstanding Vietnamese farmers.

"Sitting here today, we are all typical farmers, with a voice in the community, so please participate in community agricultural extension to have a stronger voice. Wearing the Vietnam Farmers' Association shirt, community agricultural extension shirt with the slogan "Where there are farmers, there is agricultural extension" will make it easier to convince each other; people will have a louder voice, "stir up" the market more effectively, and thus people will no longer have to go looking for markets" - Minister Le Minh Hoan affirmed.

Source: https://danviet.vn/anh-hung-lao-dong-tran-manh-bao-chu-tich-hdqt-thaibinh-seed-xay-dung-lai-he-thong-san-xuat-nong-nghiep-20241014232909917.htm