Communal Agricultural Technical Team is a 'gold mine'

Spreading from Kien Giang's model

Hau Giang is the “youngest” province (re-established in 2004) in the Mekong Delta with a geographical position in the center of the region, surrounded by many other provinces and cities. It has neither sea nor mountains, and the forest area there is quite modest. The only advantage this province has is the agricultural land area favorable for growing 2-3 rice crops per year, developing orchards and a system of interlaced canals for freshwater fish raising.

Finding both advantages and disadvantages, right after its re-establishment, Hau Giang embarked on consolidating the agricultural industry, including the agricultural promotion at the grassroots levels considered as a foundation.

Meanwhile, Kien Giang is a neighboring province that has been quite successful in developing a model of Technical and Economic Team, so Hau Giang's agricultural industry has sent officials there to learn about it.

Mr. Vo Xuan Tan, Director of Hau Giang Agricultural Promotion and Service Center, said in 2011, Hau Giang decided to pilot the establishment of ATTs with the first 21 of them set up in some localities.

After 6 months of success, the ATT has been replicated in 74 other communes, wards, and townships. Each ATT has 3 staff in charge. This is the core force to accelerate the application of scientific advances to production, disease prevention, building models of agricultural and fishery promotion, and developing agricultural production.

Speaking about its role, Tan said the ATT is responsible for advising the People's Committees of the communes, wards, and towns in managing and organizing professional works such as disseminating laws, programs, and plans on agriculture and rural development in the area.

The team is actively participating in preventing and controlling harmful species from hitting crops and livestock and fighting drought, saline intrusion, and epidemics in the area. It is also coordinating well with agencies, units, mass organizations, and local authorities in performing specialized tasks in veterinary works, agricultural promotion, plant cultivation, and protection, It provides consultancy on transferring scientific and technical advances and promptly reports to specialized agencies so that they can take measures to prevent diseases on plants and animals.

In addition, the ATT also performs tasks assigned by the People's Committees of communes such as advocating for the implementation of the 13th criterion on production in new rural areas, implementing the OCOP programs, boosting socio-economic development targets and mobilizing people to buy health insurance, ensure environmental sanitation, healthcare and education...

“Most of the communal ATTs’ staff are young and have certain professional qualifications through working directly with farmers at the grassroots level, so they are trusted by the locals.

Thanks to their spirit of striving to learn, improve expertise, and with their ability in information technology application, this team operates more and more effectively," said Tan.

Farmer's best friends

Visiting an ATT in Vi Tan Commune, Vi Thanh City (Hau Giang) while they are training farmers on goat husbandry techniques and urban agriculture, we can find them hard-working providing with lots of new and interesting knowledge for learners who are also enthusiastically exchanged and discussed with them closely like friends.

Mr. Tran Chi Tam from hamlet 6, Vi Tan Commune, who attended the training class happily said Vi Tan is a suburban commune and the family's production land was also limited so he attended the ATT class to learn how to change into urban agriculture which he found more suitable.

Tam chose the model of raising goats for both breeds and meat as the commune is currently orienting to establish a goat farming cooperative. He also planned to grow grass to feed his goats while in the fields he would grow rice and fish. The farmer revealed his goats had just given birth for the first time. The breeds could be sold at 1.2 million/head after 2 months.

“It is very good income,” he said.

Working for the ATT of Vi Tan Commune, Mr. Nguyen Binh Trung said one of the main tasks of the team is to advise farmers on effective agricultural production techniques and models, provide them with agricultural information market, price, early detection, and prevention of diseases and harmful pests on plants and animals...

Mr. Tran Thanh Binh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Vi Tan, said the commune has achieved new rural standards earlier than scheduled thanks to the active contribution of the ATT.

Mr. Tran Chi Hung, Director of Hau Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said with the establishment of the ATTs, the province has got an agriculture promotion network at the grassroots levels...

The establishment of the ATTs has help meet the demands in promoting agricultural production and rural economic development, timely and effectively control the diseases, prevent and fight with harmful pests in local areas.

Moreover, it has also effectively advised and proposed solutions in implementing the state agricultural management tasks in localities, helped investigate and capture data on agricultural production, transfer science and technology and guide farmers to apply scientific and technical advances to production.