Proud of Vietnamese Farmers and the story of whether farming requires "going to school"?

On October 14, at Hung Vuong Convention Center, the 9th National Farmers' Forum 2024 with the theme "Listening to farmers speak" took place enthusiastically.

Tự hào Nông dân Việt Nam: Câu chuyện làm nông có cần — The forum atmosphere was very exciting, but also very close to the farmers attending, with no barriers between ranks. Photo: PV

Thanks to the sincere dialogues between representatives of farmers across the country and senior leaders, the forum is not only a place to exchange ideas but also a bridge connecting field practices and national strategies.

Here, outstanding farmers and typical cooperative representatives did not hesitate to share about the difficulties and concerns they face every day - from capital problems, product output, land problems, challenges of climate change, to barriers in applying new technology.

In a friendly and open atmosphere, Minister Le Minh Hoan and Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Union Luong Quoc Doan listened and discussed together, offering practical solutions to remove "bottlenecks" for farmers. This is not only an opportunity for people to express their wishes but also a new step forward, helping farmers nationwide to have more confidence and resilience on the path to sustainable agriculture.

Travel a day, learn a basket of knowledge....

The old saying still holds true, especially for today’s farmers. Gone are the days when farming was just a matter of hands and feet, of working hard in the fields day and night. Now, as the country changes, farmers are constantly learning, not only to keep up with but also to master the times.

Every day, they not only learn how to take care of plants and raise fish, but also how to manage, how to apply technology, and how to bring their products to consumers near and far. To farm, today's farmers not only need diligent hands, but also a quick mind and a spirit ready to accept new things. It is this learning that has opened up many opportunities, helping farmers to firmly step forward with sustainable, modern agriculture and connected to the world.

Through sharing with Dan Viet reporter, Mr. Nguyen Duc Menh, an excellent farmer from Hai Duong, born in 1953, said: "Although I am at the threshold of "the tree is about to wither, the leaves are about to fall", there has not been a day when I stopped learning, stopped trying to explore and learn about farming knowledge".

Mr. Menh shared that participating in the series of programs organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union, especially the 9th National Farmers' Forum in 2024 with the theme: "Listening to farmers speak" is a valuable opportunity to help him learn many new things. He met and connected with excellent farmers from all over the country, each with their own experience and story, but all sharing the same aspiration to get rich from sustainable agriculture.

Not only did he learn from experts and leaders, Mr. Menh also found empathy and encouragement from other farmers. He said: “Hearing people talk about their efforts to overcome difficulties, I feel young again, more motivated to continue. Even though I am old, I do not want to stop. I hope that what I learned today will help the crops and the next generation."

“At this age, I still feel that I have a lot to learn. At the forum, I heard about new farming models, how to apply technology to agriculture, and ways to bring products to further markets. That knowledge helped me broaden my vision and become more confident when applying it to my business," Mr. Menh smiled simply when sharing with Dan Viet newspaper reporters.

Sharing the same thought with Mr. Menh, another outstanding Vietnamese farmer from Ha Tinh, Mr. Le Van Hai shared with Dan Viet newspaper reporter: "Coming from a farmer background, I really understand the hardships of the profession. Farming is not just about plowing deeply and hoeing well, but also knowing how to adapt and find new directions."

From the very beginning, Mr. Hai soon realized that cultivation and animal husbandry needed to go hand in hand with the development of processed products to create added value. Mr. Hai said: “Just making products is not enough, we also have to find a way to bring them to consumers with the best quality. That is the reason I decided to invest in processing, so that the agricultural products we make can go further and be more stable.”

He has accumulated knowledge about management, processing, and care of crops and livestock over the years, but he is always eager to learn new things. "This forum has helped me broaden my horizons, from land issues, credit, or how to apply technology to livestock farming to modern processing techniques. Meeting farmers everywhere also helps me see the great potential of connecting and sharing experiences," Mr. Hai excitedly shared with Dan Viet newspaper.

Like Mr. Manh and Mr. Hai, Ms. Nguyen Thi Bien, an excellent farmer from Thanh Hoa, is not only attached to agriculture but also has a passion for creativity and continuous learning. Ms. Bien shared: "As a female farmer, I have to shoulder not only the work of the fields but also the whole family. But that does not stop me from researching and learning new things about agriculture."

And attending the program series, I was not only happy to meet and interact with other delegates, Ms. Bien was also particularly impressed with the sharing of Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan and Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Association Luong Quoc Doan. "The questions and answers of the Minister and Chairman of the Association were really clear, distinct and sincere. I felt the attention and listening from the senior leaders. They not only talked about macro policies but also delved into specific issues of farmers, helping farmers learn a lot," she commented.

Thoughts to the government...

At the forum, farmers did not hesitate to express their thoughts and aspirations to the government and relevant agencies. They hope for more practical policies that directly support the problems farmers are facing. From access to preferential capital to expand production, to training programs on modern farming techniques, they hope to have more opportunities to be more steadfast in their journey of attachment to the fields.

Ms. Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, a typical cooperative in 2024 in Soc Son, expressed the common concerns of many farmers and businesses about capital and output. Ms. Tuyen said: "Capital is an essential need, every business needs it and as the Minister emphasized, the production scale needs to be expanded further to meet export demand."

Specifically, she wants specific regulations to ensure production land for farmers. Ms. Tuyen said: "For example, my cooperative, when a company places an order, they require a large and continuous quantity. If the planning changes suddenly and we lose production land, the risk of bankruptcy is very high because we cannot meet the demand and have to pay compensation to our partners."

Besides Ms. Tuyen, Mr. Vu Van Chien, an outstanding Vietnamese farmer from Bac Ninh, also expressed his wish that events like this should be held more frequently, to create conditions for farmers to present their thoughts and aspirations and together find solutions for sustainable development.

"I hope that farmers' voices will be heard not only in major events, but also throughout agricultural development policies. Only then can we feel secure in production and development," Mr. Chien said with hopeful eyes.

Dan Viet reporter heard the thoughts of a group of farmers talking: "We are always willing to learn and innovate, but we also need support to overcome the current difficulties. Policies that accompany farmers will not only help us gain more confidence, but also create conditions for Vietnamese agricultural products to go further and be more sustainable."

Source: https://danviet.vn/tu-hao-nong-dan-viet-nam-va-cau-chuyen-lam-nong-co-can-di-hoc-20241015143032029.htm