Party and State leaders take a group photo with delegates of the eighth National Congress of the VNFU held in Hà Nội on Tuesday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng emphasised the necessity for farmers to undergo a transformation in both mindset and actions to become the focal points of the agricultural development process.

Given the trends of a decreasing and ageing agricultural workforce, with surplus labour from urban and industrial areas moving to rural regions for livelihoods in agriculture, the Vietnam Farmers' Union (VNFU) needs to innovate its operating methods.

It should provide assistance and accompany farmers for at least the next five years as the nation strives towards the goal of becoming a modern industrialised country with high average income by 2030 and a developed, high-income country by 2045.

He made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the eighth National Congress of the VNFU held in Hà Nội on Tuesday, with the participation of 995 delegates representing over 10 million farmers nationwide.

With the theme "Solidarity - Democracy - Creativity - Cooperation - Development," the three-day congress is a significant platform for Vietnamese farmers to discuss and set specific goals and tasks for the next five years.

Presenting the report of the VNFU’s seventh Central Executive Committee, Vice Chairwoman Bùi Thị Thơm stated that during the 2018- 23 term, the role of the VNFU in building the farmer class has been increasingly affirmed, contributing to raising political and educational levels, and improving the lives of farmers.

Thơm said in the 2023-28 term, the VNFU will set out three ground-breaking tasks, including: innovating methods of gathering and uniting farmers, developing the collective economy, and improving the qualifications of farmers.

In addition, the VNFU will continue to complete and strengthen its operation, timely resolve obstacles in operational mechanisms, build competent officials, and establish a database while enhancing membership management on a digital platform.

Speaking at the ceremony, many delegates expressed their hopes that in the upcoming term, the VNFU’s activities will undergo significant changes, benefiting farmers more in agricultural production.

They also proposed directions and support for farmers to invest in modern farming and livestock facilities, apply advanced technologies linked with safe production processes, and develop production aligned with domestic market needs as well as exports.

Lê Thanh Hiền from the Vĩnh Long Province’s Farmers’ Association expressed his hope that the congress would introduce breakthrough solutions in agriculture to ensure that farmers' products are processed and accepted by the market, and the living standards of farmers continue to improve.

Hiền said farmers in rural areas still find it challenging to develop the economy in their hometowns. They face difficulties due to the impact of climate change, high cost of fertiliser and maintenance materials, while the product prices are low, leading to high production costs, and low profits or even losses. Many households are reluctant to implement collaborative production models.

He stressed the necessity of building various models for economic development, leveraging the advantages of localities, and strengthening linkages in building value chains according to market trends to provide peace of mind for farmers in their production.

Speaking at the ceremony, Party chief Trọng pointed out that the work of the VNFU has not kept pace with the requirements of the country's situation and the rapid development of technology and international integration.

He proposed the construction of the VNFU to be increasingly strong, truly representing the legitimate rights and interests of farmers and acting as a bridge between farmers and the Party and the State.

The Party General Secretary demanded stronger participation in training and skill development for farmers; providing advice on professions, employment and establishing businesses, farms, and production and business facilities.

He emphasised that the union at all levels should well organise the supply of agricultural equipment and materials, and support farmers in investing in production, cultivation, animal husbandry, and the development of collective economy in agriculture.

It should focus on supporting farmers in establishing cooperatives and implementing effective models of value chain cooperation.

Party General Secretary Trọng highlighted the need for innovation, and improvement of the quality and efficiency of the VNFU's participation in social supervision and criticism, especially in areas related to agriculture, farmers and rural areas.

The VNFU at all levels should proactively participate in international integration, promoting information dissemination about the country's development policies and the foreign policy of the Party and State to international organisations, partners and friends, he added. — VNS