World's leading rice exporter but rice farmers are still poor?

Continuing the question and answer session on the afternoon of August 15, National Assembly Deputy Ly Tiet Hanh (Binh Dinh Delegation) said that according to research, in Vietnam, the proportion of people living and working in the agricultural sector is high, however, these are also people with low and unstable average income, especially in purely agricultural areas.

This is also a contradiction between the reality of people's lives and the policy of ensuring national food security, contributing to promoting economic development. Without effective policies, the risk of people abandoning their land and fields will be high, directly affecting the policy of ensuring food security, developing sustainable agriculture, and improving people's lives and incomes.

The delegate asked the Minister to inform him of his views and solutions in the coming time to overcome this problem?

Dialogue - Why are rice farmers still poor despite being the world's leading rice exporter? — Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan answers questions.

In response, Minister Le Minh Hoan cited data that the proportion of rural people is 27%, meaning that over the past period, the agricultural sector and the proportion of people working in agriculture have decreased. However, the rural population is about 65%, meaning that the rural population includes officials, civil servants and people working in the non-agricultural and rural sectors, which is also very large.

Minister Le Minh Hoan said that there should be solutions not only for direct farmers and workers in the agricultural sector, but also for harmoniously calculating both agricultural workers and non-agricultural workers.

Accordingly, ensuring that people still hold the concession land during the period of non-use will have a way for that land fund to create wealth and generate better income for the people.

Dialogue - Why are rice farmers still poor despite being the world's leading rice exporter? (Image 2). — National Assembly Delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Hai Duong Delegation) asked questions.

Also participating in questioning the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development , National Assembly Delegate Nguyen Thi Viet Nga (Hai Duong Delegation) raised the issue that Vietnam is the world's leading rice exporting country, but rice farmers still have a difficult life, meaning that rice does not bring much profit to producers.

The delegate asked the Minister to explain the cause of this paradox and the solutions in the coming time? This question was also sent to the Minister of Industry and Trade. In addition, the delegate also asked the Minister to have a solution to resolve the congestion of agricultural products at border gates in the past time?

Responding to the above content , Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said that according to the statistical yearbook and survey, agriculture is the sector with the lowest income among economic sectors. In agriculture, rice growers are the ones with the lowest income. In the current context, rice prices increase every day, this is also a great opportunity to improve income for farmers.

According to the Minister, ensuring income for farmers is a matter of great concern to the Ministry, in which improving income is not just a matter of price, but also requires calculating costs.

According to calculations, in recent times, rice production has reduced input costs by 20 to 25%, thanks to the application of the cultivation process, "three increases, three decreases", saving land, saving water, saving fertilizer, saving seeds, saving pesticides. These reduced costs are the result of helping to increase people's income.

Minister Le Minh Hoan said: “Currently, we are concerned that higher prices may disrupt the industry and cause unsustainability. That is also a problem. If farmers only enjoy income from that product, it is not in line with the spirit of Resolution 19, shifting from single-value growth to integrated, multi-value growth, creating many other industries, rice growing space and time can be combined, creating more space and time for other industries.”

If we make good use of that space and time, change careers, and create jobs in rural areas, farmers will not only enjoy the fruits of rice cultivation, but also have many other sources of income.

The Minister also said that it is necessary to unite in cooperatives to have preferential prices due to large purchases, helping to increase profits. It is necessary to look at the structure of the rice industry from many perspectives, to have a direction to encourage people to join cooperatives, buy together, sell together, enjoy common services, to have income from many different segments, not just from agricultural products, to avoid fragmentation, small-scale, spontaneous .

See also:

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