A ceremony was held in Hà Nội on Tuesday to honour farmers from localities across the nation, who have made outstanding contributions to the country’s agricultural development. VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Sinh

Thào Xuân Sùng, Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, talks to Vietnam News Agency about achievements made by the union over the past 90 years in development on the occasion of its 90th anniversary.

What are the important contributions made by the Vietnam Farmers’ Union to the country’s socio-economic development?

We all know that the Renewal (Đổi mới) cause which was initiated and led by the Party has gone through nearly 30 years. Over the past 30 years, farmers and the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, under the Party leadership, have made a great cause to implement late President Hồ Chí Minh’s idea that prosperous agriculture will make the country strong and farmers wealthy.

Over the past 90 years, farmers and the Vietnam Farmers’ Union have made important contributions to the national construction and defence. With the support of the union, when Party and State polices on agriculture, farmers and rural areas are complete, the legitimate rights and interests of farmers are more secure in harmony with other social classes. Farmers across the nation have been encouraged to develop production and business effectively, helping to improve their living conditions.

A new generation of farmers with professional management and production techniques has been formed, meeting increasing demand of the market and performing well its role as a key factor in agricultural production, building new-style rural areas, integrating into the world economy and contributing to keep political and social stability as well as national defence and security.

Adopting the Resolution of the 7th national congress of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, farmers’ associations at all levels have non-stop renewed comprehensively and strongly in terms of operation method and content towards ensuring benefits for farmers; promoted communication campaigns and organise activities to provide vocational training services and consultancy for farmers; encouraged farmers to effectively implement the master plan on restructuring the agricultural sector in connection with building new-style rural areas.

What do you think about the emulation movement of members of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union over the past five years?

Over the past five years, farmers’ associations at all levels have directed and guided their members to actively, proactively and creatively implement emulation movements to build the Vietnam Farmers’ Association clear and strong for the goal of prosperous agriculture, wealthy peasants and modern and civilised rural areas. The emulation movements have developed and improved in line with political tasks and farmers’ legitimate aspirations.

The union has directed and organised the implementation of three emulation movements, including the movement of good farmers in production and business and solidarity to help each other to get rich and reduce poverty sustainably.

Each year, more than 6.2 million households register to strive for the title of “Good farmers in production and business”, accounting for 41.3 per cent of total farmer households of the whole country; and more than 2.2 million households report an annual income of from VNĐ100 million (US$4,300) to nearly VNĐ2 billion ($86,000).

These movements have seen many examples of farmers who did well in production and business as well as supported each other to eliminate hunger and reduce poverty. Many farmers have voluntarily donated lands, money or efforts to build new-style rural areas.

This year, the Vietnam Farmers’ Union has for the first time honoured heads of 90 excellent farmers’ associations. What exactly does that mean?

As chairman of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, I always have a desire to work with people across the nation, particularly farmers, to connect together farmers, businesses, scientists, banks and distributors. That is also the Prime Minister concerns about how to build a new generation of farmers with knowledge, capacity and responsibilities for the country.

In order to achieve high efficiency in agricultural production and business, among outstanding farmers, it is needed to have “leading birds”, to have farmers who are workers and intellectuals with vision and capacity in terms of not only agricultural production but also agricultural business in order to change farmers’ mindset and habits from small-scale and scattered production to a global flattened world with close linkage with the market.

Outstanding farmers not only know to work for themselves and their families but are also willing to help other people. That is why the Vietnam Farmers’ Union decided to organise a meeting to honour 90 heads of farmers’ associations to help more than 10 million members of the union as well as farmers across the country to know and learn from these outstanding farmers’ ways of thinking, doing and consuming. — VNS