Chairman of the Provincial Farmers' Association Bui Quang Hung visits a model of growing medicinal plants in Bac Ha.

Reporter: Sir, what does it mean to develop professional Lao Cai farmers?

Mr. Bui Quang Hung : In order to successfully implement the goal of Resolution No. 19 of the 13th Party Central Committee on agriculture, farmers and rural areas by 2030, with a vision to 2045; Project No. 01 of the Provincial Party Committee on "Development of agriculture and forestry, population arrangement, construction of new countryside" period 2021 - 2025"; Resolution No. 10 dated August 26, 2021 of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee on the strategy of developing commodity agriculture in Lao Cai province to 2030, with a vision to 2050, it is necessary to build and train farmers with a new agriculture working mindset, high professional skills and qualifications, advanced scientific and technical knowledge, skills in using machines, informatics and public services. In particular, farmers must know how to cooperate closely and actively in production and business along the value chain, have enough knowledge to access the market, know how to calculate and account in production and business.

To do so, requires each farmer to be professional in working style, production organization skills, and market connection.

Reporter : It is known that professional farmers must have professional knowledge and skills. So how will the "knowledge of farmers" be done, sir?

Mr. Bui Quang Hung : "Farmer intellectualization" is a process that requires the coordination of many parties, including the State, enterprises, cooperatives and farmers themselves, farmers' associations must be core to accompany the people. Therefore, the farmers' association will continue to propose as well as participate in the development of mechanisms and policies to improve farmers' qualifications to meet new requirements; coordinate with departments, branches and mass organizations to accompany farmers to gradually improve production knowledge, connect product consumption markets, apply agricultural science, credit and trade. More importantly, farmers themselves must strive to rise up, form the necessary qualities to adapt to the digital transformation period, need a breakthrough in production thinking in the direction of applying new, modern, friendly technology, friendly environment, producing high quality products, ensuring food hygiene and safety, and at the same time strengthening linkages along the value chain to increase competitiveness and add value to products.

Reporter : In order to "intellectualize farmers" for a mountainous and highland province, the majority of farmers' members are ethnic minorities, will it be difficult, sir?

Mr. Bui Quang Hung : Lao Cai is a mountainous and highland province, the percentage of farmer members being ethnic minorities is high, farmers' qualifications are still limited, agricultural production is still fragmented and small. Access to information is still limited, especially information about the market for agricultural products, so "intellectualization of farmers" faces many difficulties, especially in changing thinking in production.

However, with high political determination, over the past time, the province has issued programs, resolutions and policies to support agricultural development, new rural construction, and digital transformation in agriculture. Along with that, it is necessary to participate in departments and sectors and actively accompany farmers' associations at all levels to propagate and support farmers to implement policies on agricultural production, forms of production organization, supporting farmers in science - technology, capital, seeds, training in commodity production skills, creating typical local OCOP products associated with tourist attractions, putting the products on the e-commerce platform, establishment of branches, professional associations/cooperative groups, cooperatives...

By doing so, the professional qualifications, skills, production and business management skills, farmers' awareness and understanding of social and economic issues will be enhanced.

Reporter : At the 7th National Farmers Forum, a problem was raised that in order to build professional farmers, they had to answer questions from farmers. So, what are the questions that Lao Cai farmers are asking and need to be answered, sir?

Mr. Bui Quang Hung : Lao Cai farmers are asking many questions: What to produce? how to produce? Where to consume? What is the support policy?

To solve farmers' questions, recently, the Provincial People's Council issued Resolution 26, Resolution 33, and at the same time called for and attracted investment in processing agricultural products, organized promotion of consumer products, consumption of endemic products of the province. In particular, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee has issued Resolution No. 10 on the Strategy for the development of commodity agriculture in Lao Cai province to 2030, with a vision to 2050, which specifies 7 key commodities and products Lao Cai's potential to orient commodity agricultural production in the coming time, and at the same time, it is also an answer to the questions raised by farmers.

Reporter: In the era of industrial revolution 4.0, building professional farmers is very necessary. So, what will farmers' associations at all levels have to do to soon realize the goal of building professional Lao Cai farmers, sir?

Mr. Bui Quang Hung : Identifying farmers as the subject and center of agricultural development, rural economy, new rural construction and digital transformation, therefore, farmers' associations at all levels must actively implement full responsibility, helping members and farmers adapt to the new development trend.

Accordingly, the Farmers' Union has promoted propaganda so that members and farmers can firmly grasp the Party's guidelines and policies and the State's policies and laws on agricultural, farmer and rural development consensus, so that farmers can really promote their role in producing and consuming products.

Organize training and retraining to improve farmers' qualifications, create conditions for farmers to learn, exchange experiences, acquire science and technology transfer and apply new technologies to agricultural production to meet the requirements of the cause of innovation, building a civilized and modern new countryside, integration and development.

Mobilizing members, farmers and related units to participate in chain linkages in the production and consumption of agricultural products in order to reduce input costs and increase output values, preside over creating linkages between 6 farmers “Farmers - State - Scientists - Enterprises - Banks - Distributors"; building and managing collective brands, towards building brands for agricultural products.

Reporter : Thank you for the discussion!