Hai Phong - a YouTube channel for each agricultural extension station

Agricultural extension officers hosting programs

"Welcome everyone to how to control fruit flies on apple trees with sticky traps and Vizubon bait, part of a technical guide video series performed by the Thuy Nguyen Agricultural Extension Station. We appreciate your attention and continued support for the Thuy Nguyen Agricultural Extension Station...

Bang La apple, a signature agricultural product of Do Son District, Hai Phong City, is a fruit that brings significant economic value and enables many farmers in Bang La Ward to earn substantial wealth."

Engineer Bui Thi Duyen, an officer at the Thuy Nguyen Agricultural Extension Station, took on the role of a host for an agricultural extension video as a first-timer. Initially nervous, she quickly regained confidence and delivered a smooth presentation. Subsequently, the video was posted on social media, receiving numerous likes, comments, and views. This video was her final project for the training course on communication and agricultural extension promotion skills, held from August 21 to August 27, which included 50 participants from key members, information officers of various stations, and members of community agricultural extension groups in Hai Phong City.

During the seven-day course, instructor Truong Chuc Linh and 12 lecturers from DPS Communication and Services Co., Ltd. (Cval) held classes at the Hai Phong Agricultural Extension Center between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day. Participants received training on topics such as information gathering methods, news production, news writing, photography, video recording using smartphones, and post-production techniques.

They also practiced hands-on reporting at ongoing agricultural extension models, followed by writing articles and producing and posting videos on social media platforms such as YouTube. This "hands-on" training method allowed participants to quickly absorb the content and transfer their skills.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Dam, Director of the Hai Phong Agricultural Extension Center, participants were able to produce results after one week of training, with each station and the center creating its own YouTube channel.

When farmers or large-scale agricultural businesses require promotional content, agricultural extension officers can produce four to five videos at a time using smartphones. Social media possess the potential to expand Hai Phong's agricultural extension models on a global scale in direct competition with traditional promotional methods such as limited-attendance conferences. To date, the Center has produced over 40 videos, with some garnering significant viewership.

"People can search certain keywords such as Tien Lang Agricultural Extension, Thuy Nguyen Agricultural Extension, An Lao Agricultural Extension, or Vinh Bao Agricultural Extension on YouTube to find our videos. We expect each team of YouTube producers at every station to create three videos per week. Prior to this program, the local agricultural extension center annually implemented numerous models in crop production, livestock production, and aquaculture. As a result, we have an incredibly rich and diverse source of data and material for creating videos across various communes, wards, and sectors.

However, promotional efforts have been limited due to the lack of skills and methods among agricultural extension officers, especially in writing news articles and producing video clips. The number of videos was low, and their quality was unsatisfactory. Consequently, the promotion and expansion of successful models have been ineffective, and the center failed to promote new techniques, innovative methods, or timely information to farmers and fishermen," Director Nguyen Ngoc Dam shared.

Following the training session, agricultural extension officers from each station gained knowledge on how to set up and manage both the Central Office's and their own YouTube channels. Additionally, the center formed a workgroup to professionally produce and upload promotional content, with defined roles such as scriptwriting, filming, hosting, video editing, graphic design, technical posting, and media management.

With a production rate of three to four videos per week per group across seven groups, the Hai Phong Agricultural Extension Center expects to produce around 1,350 videos annually. These videos will be uploaded to social media platforms, starting with YouTube, followed by connections to TikTok and Facebook. Hai Phong expects these teams to share knowledge and promote the extension of these skills to grassroots agricultural extension officers, advising commune chairpersons with the goal of establishing a YouTube channel for every commune to promote all local issues.

Hai Phong currently houses 139 grassroots agricultural extension teams, which have traditionally functioned in a similar role to community extension officers. Moving forward, these teams will become key players, and each commune will select at least five additional participants to create YouTube channels, utilizing the commune's existing agricultural committee resources.

Farmers must promote and advertise their products

Regarding the reason for establishing agricultural extension video channels on social media, Director Nguyen Ngoc Dam commented that the center made the decision out of necessity. "Promoting content online is now the fastest, most direct, and far-reaching method. Whenever we identify a successful model, the agricultural extension team will create videos to promote the product, provide technical guidance, and upload the content to social media. Posting these videos online could also become a source of income for extension officers in the future, provided they pursue this approach with professionalism, dedication, and responsibility."

"Similar to how a hen clucks everytime it lays an egg, farmers must also promote and advertise their products. Farmers must first promote their own products and services, along with the quality and yield of their produce, to local extension officers. When these videos are posted online, they help connect supply and demand, thereby promoting the products to a wider audience. Subsequently, the extension officers will teach farmers how to create and upload their own videos on social media. Local promotional content will also be presented as dynamic videos, which can reach the public more effectively," Director Nguyen Ngoc Dam shared.

According to Director Nguyen Ngoc Dam, the groups, despite their relative inexperience, must focus on improving the quality of their videos in order to attract additional viewers. Accordingly, two experts will mentor each agricultural extension group in video production, guiding them for the next three years until they are proficient.

In addition to professional training, the course also equipped participants with skills and practices related to health, mindfulness, dance, and sports to enhance both their physical and mental well-being for work and life. Despite the initial reluctance, participants were emotional by the end of the course after bonding and sharing valuable experiences.

After the training course, participants gained a clearer understanding of their roles within the organization and their responsibility to farmers, as well as the effectiveness of using social media for agricultural extension promotion. Consequently, they have eagerly begun practicing this knowledge.

Social media has become a breakthrough tool for disseminating scientific advancements, promoting people, services, products, and successful models, as well as communicating the policies of the Party and the State to farmers.