Prime Minister: Farmers and businesses want to go far, go together

Participants in the agricultural economy such as households and businesses need to increase connections according to the motto "if you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together", according to the Prime Minister.

On the afternoon of December 30, after answering questions with representatives of ministries and sectors at a dialogue with farmers, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that Vietnam will aim to develop smart agriculture and modern rural areas.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and localities should soon guide people to participate in the project of planting one million hectares of high-quality and low-emission rice, associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta by 2030.

Localities reorganize production, strengthen linkages along the value chain, and link production with processing and consumption of agricultural products. Households, cooperative organizations, and enterprises need to increase linkages, taking enterprises as the center and driving force to improve production and business efficiency and harmonize the interests of participating entities. The motto is "if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together".

The Head of Government called on farmers to develop large-scale commodity agriculture, smart, clean and safe agriculture. People should increase the application of scientific and technological achievements, international integration to adapt to climate change, take advantage of opportunities, "turn danger into opportunity, and leave no one behind".

Farmers need to grasp market trends and change their mindset from agricultural production to a multi-value agricultural economy linked to domestic and export demand. "Eliminate barriers in old, fragmented, small-scale, self-sufficient ways of thinking and doing things," said the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at a dialogue with farmers on the afternoon of December 30. Photo: Nhat Bac — Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at a dialogue with farmers on the afternoon of December 30. Photo: *Nhat Bac*

Vietnam will build a modern, environmentally friendly, low-emission, highly efficient, and sustainable ecological agriculture to increase productivity, efficiency, competitiveness, and improve farmers' income.

The Prime Minister also noted the need to create conditions to encourage farmers to learn a trade and improve their capacity. Career and employment counseling, business establishment, cooperatives, and production and business establishments should continue to be expanded.

Farmers' Associations and localities support groups of farmers who are good at production and business, have the capacity and conditions to establish cooperatives and small enterprises. This is the core to promote the intellectualization of farmers.

Well-organized agencies provide agricultural equipment and materials, guide farmers in modern production, cultivation, and animal husbandry, and apply high technology associated with advanced processes.

"It is necessary to improve credit efficiency, support capital for farmers and expand the model of farmers' associations providing unsecured loans for production and business," the Prime Minister said, requesting all levels to arrange budget capital and mobilize social resources for the farmer support fund.

Planning must pay attention to creating concentrated, sustainable raw material areas for the agricultural, forestry and fishery processing industry. Raw material areas will incorporate carbon sequestration goals.

"Promote digital transformation in agriculture so that each farmer can access, exploit, and effectively use digital data platforms and traceability platforms, reducing dependence on intermediaries from production to distribution," the Prime Minister noted.

The dialogue between Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and farmers was attended by 70 representatives of good production and business at the Government headquarters; online connection to 63 provinces and cities. Also participating in answering farmers' questions were Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Association Luong Quoc Doan.

In recent years, agriculture has been considered a pillar of the Vietnamese economy. Agricultural GDP growth in 2023 is estimated at 3.83%, the highest in a decade. Agricultural, forestry and fishery exports remain high, with 10 product groups reaching a turnover of over one billion USD. In 2023, for the first time, Vietnam exported more than 8 million tons of rice, worth 4.8 billion USD.

Viet Tuan - Pham Chieu

Source link