Mekong Extension Learning Alliance aims at sustainable agriculture

On July 24, 2024, in Ha Long city (Quang Ninh province), the National Agricultural Extension Center coordinated with relevant units to organize the Mekong Extension Learning Alliance (MELA) workshop.

Attending the workshop were 50 delegates from agricultural extension agencies, social organizations, scholars, and youth organizations from five countries along the Mekong River basin, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

MELA is the Alliance of Agricultural Extension Organizations in the Mekong Region, initiated in March 2015 in Hanoi, Vietnam, with member countries including Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar. MELA was established to help members share the best knowledge and practical experiences in the fields of agricultural advisory services, marketing, and sustainable rural development.

At the workshop, agricultural extension agencies, social organizations, and scholars focused on discussing issues relating to climate change in agricultural production; ecological agriculture; digital transformation applications in agricultural production; national action plans of member countries; and MELA's charter, committee, and plans in the coming time.

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Le Quoc Thanh, Director of the National Agricultural Extension Center, said that every year, countries bring to the MELA workshop the most valuable experiences and the most successful models to share both methods and practical experience, aiming at the common goal of serving the community.

The purpose of the MELA workshop is to create a forum to exchange issues about agricultural extension activities as well as other important information about rural development in the Mekong region in order to further develop the MELA strategy and build MELA's action plans. The parties also share information and knowledge and learn from experiences and best practices on agricultural extension services; consult between countries and organizations in the Mekong region related to agriculture and rural development.

Vietnam Agricultural Extension is developing an agricultural extension strategy to submit to the Government with the goal of "ecological agriculture, modern rural areas, smart farmers." To achieve that, Vietnam's agricultural extension system is innovating its operations in a modern direction, serving agriculture with high added value and sustainable development. Agricultural extension staff at all levels are being professionally and modernly trained, worthy of the slogan "Wherever there are farmers, there is agricultural extension." This is also in line with MELA's goal of "reaching millions of people.".

"I believe that there will be more collaborative efforts between MELA member countries and the ASEAN community to support and further empower rural communities in the face of climate change. Thereby creating a successful ASEAN rural area," Mr. Le Quoc Thanh emphasized.

Mr. To Viet Chau, Deputy Director of the International Relations Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized that the MELA member countries, as well as national agricultural extension organizations, have long-standing friendships and partnerships. Thus, the workshop is an opportunity for MELA members to continue to work together to share experiences and knowledge in agricultural development in the Mekong River region and build agricultural extension policies to improve agricultural value chains.

He noted that agriculture plays an important role in Vietnam’s economic development, with an estimated growth rate of 3.8% in 2023, a high record in recent years. Therefore, the goal of Vietnam’s agricultural sector is to foster the application of scientific and technical achievements in agricultural production to create high-value agricultural products, contributing to the development of the agricultural sector and the development of countries in the Mekong River region.

According to Mr. To Viet Chau, to obtain the achievements, it is thanks to the agricultural extension system, which has proactively transferred scientific and technological advances to farmers and created linkages between farmers and businesses through cooperatives and other farmers' organizations.

The MELA workshop takes place in three days (from July 24 to 26). Members will share information on the latest developments in agricultural extension advisory services to solve the most pressing issues for smallholder farmers, especially agroecology, climate change, and digitization. At the same time, further strengthen the role of the MELA's Secretariat and its members to develop MELA's programs in the coming time.