Creativity in the fields

Accompanying farmers

These days, Ms. Doan Thi Hai - a member of the Tan Hoi Commune Community Agricultural Extension Team still regularly visits the rice fields participating in the Project of Phu Hoa Youth Agricultural Service Cooperative. For Ms. Hai, visiting the fields with farmers is both work and joy. Because she is very aware of the trust and expectations that farmers place in her. For them, she is a person who transfers science and technology, a companion, and guides farmers to properly implement the process of cultivating high-quality, low-emission rice according to the Project's requirements.

Ms. Doan Thi Hai visits the fields with farmers in Tan Hoi commune. Photo: THANH TIEN

Ms. Hai shared: “As a member of the Community Agricultural Extension Team, I think I am an indispensable “bridge” between scientists , authorities, businesses and farmers in implementing the Project. We not only bring knowledge and technology but also the spirit of innovation and creativity to the fields, helping farmers reduce seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and the amount of water supplied to rice during the production process.”

Ms. Doan Thi Hai also said that in the summer-autumn crop of 2025, with the support of the community agricultural extension force, 25 households in the Phu Hoa Youth Agricultural Service Cooperative participating in the Project implementation model all earned a profit of about 40 million VND/ha, an increase of about 35 - 45% compared to traditional farming methods.

“After the model ends, farmers will no longer receive policy support, but we will continue to support and replicate the Project's farming process on a larger scale. In addition to our role in providing technical support, we also help farmers in the cooperative connect with businesses to ensure output, typically Kien Giang Trading Joint Stock Company,” Ms. Doan Thi Hai added.

The presence of agricultural extension forces is always a driving force for farmers to actively follow the farming process of the Project. Mr. Ho Van Huong - a farmer in Tan Hoi commune shared: "We are always enthusiastically guided by agricultural extension forces, going to the fields together in each stage of rice growth. Thanks to agricultural extension officers like Ms. Doan Thi Hai, we have grasped sustainable rice cultivation methods, as well as clearly understood the benefits of producing high-quality, low-emission rice to apply to our rice fields to achieve good results."

Developing agricultural extension forces

Ms. Doan Thi Hai is a typical case among more than 2,400 members of 255 community agricultural extension groups in the province after the merger. According to Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Ngo Cong Thuc, the province's community agricultural extension force has participated in organizing about 480 training courses and agricultural events for more than 10,500 farmers and cooperative members. In addition, it has guided and supported the establishment and consolidation of more than 110 cooperatives; supported more than 50 cooperatives in linking the consumption of rice, fruit trees, livestock, and aquaculture with businesses. In particular, it has advised cooperatives on applying digital transformation, quality management, traceability, trade promotion, and consumption of agricultural products for farmers.

“In implementing the Project in An Giang, the community agricultural extension force has played an active role in mobilizing and connecting farmers to participate. Up to now, the province has deployed an area applying sustainable rice cultivation criteria to more than 150,000 hectares. At the same time, helping localities achieve the criteria of "having an effective community agricultural extension team" in building advanced new rural communes in the period of 2021 - 2025", Mr. Ngo Cong Thuc emphasized.

However, members of community agricultural extension teams are mainly part-time, performing many tasks according to job requirements, but the regime and policies for this force are not commensurate. In addition, equipment serving the implementation of the tasks of community agricultural extension teams is limited. In the conditions of implementing 2-level local government, the activities of community agricultural extension forces are more difficult, needing support from all levels and sectors to better promote their role.

“We have coordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to organize a conference to evaluate the effectiveness of agricultural extension and community extension activities in implementing the 2-level local government model in the provinces of the Mekong Delta. Through this conference, we hope to find ways to remove difficulties for the agricultural extension and community extension forces, helping the provinces of the Mekong Delta in general, and An Giang in particular, to have more solutions to support this force to operate effectively, in the context of operating a 2-level local government”, informed comrade Ngo Cong Thuc.

At this conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Thanh Nam suggested that the National Agricultural Extension Center should actively pay attention and create a mechanism for the agricultural extension force to operate effectively and better promote its role in implementing the Project. Urgently review the legal mechanism and advise the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to issue guiding documents to perfect the community agricultural extension force in the 2-level local government model.

The Deputy Minister also requested that provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta region proactively plan to build and develop agricultural extension forces suitable to the actual conditions of each locality and each sector to ensure the highest operational efficiency...

THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/sang-tao-tren-nhung-canh-dong-a462755.html