Thai Thuy: Supporting farmers to develop the economy

Promoting the role of "midwife", Thai Thuy District Farmers' Association has organized many activities aimed at the grassroots, supporting members and farmers with capital, science and technology and orienting the development of production models that bring high economic efficiency.

The comprehensive farm of Mr. Tran Ngoc Thuan's family, Thuy Duyen commune (Thai Thuy) has high economic efficiency.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Chung, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thai Thuy district, said: To help members access preferential loans for investment in production development, the Farmers' Association of the district has secured loans from banks for 3,746 members with a total outstanding debt of 331 billion VND to date; coordinated to supply over 800 tons of fertilizer to farmers on a deferred payment basis. In the 5 years from 2018 to 2023, the associations at all levels also coordinated with specialized agencies to organize 2,350 training courses, transferring science and technology, attracting 141,290 members to participate; organized 162 vocational training classes, creating new jobs for 5,816 workers. In addition, the Farmers' Association of the district also organized 46 propaganda sessions, supporting members to bring products to the e-commerce platform postmart.vn; at the same time, maintaining and improving the quality of activities of 2 professional branches and 25 affiliated groups.

Thanks to capital and knowledge, many members have boldly invested capital, applied science and technology to agricultural production models that bring high efficiency and create jobs for local workers. Previously, Mr. Nguyen Quy Don's family in Van village, Thuy Ninh commune was in a difficult situation, with their main source of income from rice cultivation of about 2 million VND/month. In 2003, with the support of the Commune People's Committee and the Commune Farmers' Association, his family converted the low-yield rice cultivation area along the dike to build a comprehensive livestock farm.

Mr. Don shared: During the process of building the model, the Commune Farmers' Association also advised and encouraged my family to sign a contract with Viet Phuong Animal Feed Joint Stock Company to build a centralized livestock farm. Especially, when the Covid-19 epidemic broke out and there were difficulties in product consumption, the Commune Farmers' Association regularly came to encourage and advise us on new ways of doing things, creating conditions for loans to revive the model. Currently, my family raises more than 200 commercial pigs and 20 foreign sows on an area of 2,200m2. Each year, we sell about 70 tons of pork and 1,100 breeding pigs. After deducting expenses, the income is about 720 million VND/year. In addition, the farm also creates regular jobs for 10 workers with an income of 5 - 6 million VND/person/month; at the same time, it supports breeds, capital and techniques for 5 households inside and outside the commune.

In fact, the support activities of farmers' associations at all levels not only help members have more conditions to develop the economy and increase income, but also contribute to changing farming methods and increasing product value.

While many farmers in the commune are still relying on rice cultivation, Mr. Tran Ngoc Thuan, Hoa Tai village, Thuy Duyen commune, has boldly converted 1 hectare of ineffective rice field to develop a model of raising cows, black carp, snails combined with growing dragon fruit trees to earn a profit of about 100 million VND/year.

Mr. Thuan said: After participating in training courses, transferring science and technology and learning from experiences in typical good economic development models organized by the Commune Farmers' Association, we have grasped many techniques and experiences to apply in actual production to bring high efficiency.

Ms. Phan Thi To Nga, Chairwoman of the Farmers' Association of Thuy Duyen Commune, said: The whole commune currently has 14 comprehensive farms that have been well invested in and developed by farmer members. The total cultivated area of the whole commune is 295.5 hectares. The Association has proactively promoted members and farmers to actively cultivate all areas and build a land accumulation model. The Commune People's Committee has assigned the Agricultural Service Production and Trading Cooperative to cultivate over 20 hectares of commercial rice in the concentrated rice production area. Thereby contributing to reducing the rate of abandoned rice fields in the commune to 6.8 hectares, the average rice yield of the locality is estimated at 68 quintals/ha/crop.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Chung, Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Thai Thuy district, added: In addition to supporting farmers in developing production, in the 2018-2023 term, the Farmers' Associations at all levels of Thai Thuy district also helped 400-500 poor members and members in difficult circumstances with seeds, capital, and production methods to escape poverty. Through these practical actions, the average poverty rate of the whole commune was reduced to 0.2%/year. Promoting the achieved results, in the coming time, the Farmers' Association of Thai Thuy district will continue to promote activities to support farmers in changing production methods and striving to get rich. In particular, the focus is on transferring new science and technology, supporting members and farmers in developing production, increasing income and contributing to the successful implementation of the resolutions of the Farmers' Association congresses at all levels for the 2023-2028 term and the socio-economic development tasks of the locality.