Agricultural extension group - farmer's trustworthy help

A reliable resource for farmers

Son La is one of the 13 provinces selected by the National Agricultural Extension Center (NAEC) to implement a pilot project aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of agricultural extension activities through the establishment of community agricultural extension groups (CAEG). This initiative is in accordance with Decision No. 1094/QD-BNN-KN issued on March 25, 2022, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This project aims to strengthen and consolidate the local agricultural extension system by expanding multifunctional services to support the restructuring of the agricultural sector and rural development. It also aims to contribute to building the brand of Vietnam's agricultural extension services, diversifying agricultural extension activities to develop raw material areas, and increasing the productivity, quality and added value of agricultural products.

Based on this, the Son La Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued a decision to establish two pilot CAEGs in the Mai Son and Thuan Chau districts, each consisting of 14 members, and has issued regulations for the operation of CAEGs in the province. The Son La Agricultural Extension Center is the leading unit in organizing activities to enhance the capacity of these CAEGs.

Ms Lo Thanh Binh, the officer in charge of the CAEG (Son La Agricultural Extension Center), stated that the group's tasks are diverse, including providing support and advice to farmers and cooperatives on agricultural techniques, establishing and developing agricultural cooperatives, market development, value chain production linkage, and applying information technology and digital transformation in agricultural production.

The composition of the groups is also diverse, including provincial agricultural extension officers, district agricultural service centre staff, local government leaders, representatives of grassroots organizations, and agricultural extension officers from businesses operating in the area. The participation of various stakeholders, especially business agricultural extension officers, has helped ensure that the group's activities are closely aligned with practical needs, helping cooperatives and producers increase their efficiency and economic value.

"Business agricultural extension officers understand the company's direction and market information. They collaborate with government officials to advise farmers on organizing production that meets market quality and demand, thereby increasing value and profitability per unit area of cultivation," said Binh.

According to Ms Binh, although the groups have only been operational for a short time (just over a year), their offices in Mai Son and Thuan Chau districts have already become reliable addresses for local people when they need technical support in production or free consultations on legal regulations, business planning, and strategies for establishing agricultural cooperatives.

On their part, the members of the group actively engage in professional training. Specifically, in 2023, 12 training sessions were organized for the members of the pilot CAEGs and extended CAEGs according to the Project criteria: Rural 13.5; agricultural cooperatives, cooperative groups, farm owners, and farmers.

Through these training sessions, participants were equipped with skills and knowledge to grasp market information, enhance their understanding of information technology, and undergo digital transformation to support farmers in accessing and participating in social media platforms and e-commerce platforms to expand the consumption channels for agricultural products.

In addition to providing technical support for production and changing cultivation methods, the CAEGs have initially helped people connect to sell over 10 tons of pineapples and more than 5 tons of "queen" longans to traders and businesses.

Ms Nguyen Thi Bich Hoai's family in Hamlet 32, Co Noi commune (Mai Son district) is one of many households supported by the Mai Son district CAEG in terms of cultivation techniques and accessing agricultural product markets. Ms. Bich enthusiastically shared: Their family has been growing longans for nearly 8 years, but their orchard has never had such fertile soil, sturdy trees, and significantly reduced issues like yellowing leaves and root rot as it does now.

Previously, the family's longan cultivation relied mainly on experience, resulting in inconsistent yields from year to year. When pests and diseases were detected in the orchard, they would resort to pesticide spraying, which was not only costly but also harmful to health and the environment.

Since being guided by the Mai Son district CAEG to change cultivation techniques, fertilization methods, pruning, and pest prevention, everything has changed for the better.

The average longan yield has increased from 30kg/tree to 40-50kg/tree. With an average selling price of VND 35,000 - 40,000/kg, the increased yield has significantly boosted the family's income. Moreover, the family has learned the technique of staggered planting, enabling them to increase the longan harvest for the Lunar New Year, ensuring convenient sales and high prices.

Ms Ha Thi Bich Nguyet, a member of the Mai Son district CAEG, shared that from the initial confusion, the group's activities gradually became organized, becoming a reliable companion for agricultural cooperatives and producers in the area.

Currently, the group is collaborating with agricultural extension officers from the Dong Giao Export Food Joint Stock Company (Doveco) to zone production areas and provide technical guidance to locals to develop raw material areas for Doveco's fruit and vegetable processing plant in the Mai Son district. This is expected to be a promising direction to help households change their mindset, increase production value, and improve living conditions, especially for ethnic minority households.

Bridging between businesses, markets, and farmers

Mr Le Toan Thang, Deputy Director of Doveco Son La Branch, stated that the company's fruit and vegetable processing centre in Son La is now operational, so the demand for raw materials is very high. To ensure stable supply, the company is actively building raw material areas across Son La province. However, due to the specific conditions in Son La, each locality has different climatic conditions, soil characteristics, and agricultural practices, so the technical and agricultural extension staff of the company encounter many difficulties in developing linkages with local residents.

According to Mr Thang, the participants in the CAEGs include various stakeholders, forming a comprehensive system from the provincial to the communal level, with state agricultural extension workers being the backbone. Above all, they are the team with grassroots experience, accompanying and understanding the local people. The CAEGs will be a crucial bridge between the company and the farmers in disseminating market information, technical knowledge, and care procedures to ensure the production of quality products that meet market demands...

"When state agricultural extension workers collaborate with business agricultural extension workers to guide farmers in production, nothing could be more favourable. The synergy between the public and private sectors, leveraging their strengths and experiences, will support each other to effectively guide farmers in production, form strong linkages, and achieve sustainable development," evaluated Mr Le Toan Thang, Deputy Director of the Doveco Son La Branch.

Early resolution of difficulties

According to Ms Lo Thanh Binh, the officer in charge of the CAEG (Son La Agricultural Extension Center), the CAEG model is a new direction, connecting the agricultural extension system with the business community, political and social organizations, and professions to better support farmers in applying advanced techniques and useful solutions in production. Thus, it helps improve livelihoods, increase incomes, and contribute to building an efficient and sustainable agricultural sector.