Reality calls for new Resolution

Important and comprehensive achievements

On January 19, Standing Secretary of the Secretariat Vo Van Thuong, Head of the Central Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh, and Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh chaired a conference to comment on the final report on the implementation of Resolution 26-NQ/TW of the 10th Party Central Committee concerning agriculture, countryside and farmers.

According to Mr. Tran Tuan Anh, after over 13 years of implementing Resolution 26, agriculture and rural areas have accomplished many achievements of great importance and significance:

The agricultural growth rate is fairly high (2.94%/year). Growth quality is constantly improved. Agro-forestry-fishery export turnover experiences a growth rate of 8.17%/year. The trade balance is continuously in surplus.

Vietnam's agro-products are present in 196 countries and territories, making Vietnam one of the powerhouses of agricultural products, firmly ensuring sustainable national food security and poverty reduction.

The National Target Program on New Rural Construction finishes 1.5 years early. The average income rate in rural areas increases faster than in urban areas. The multidimensional poverty rate of households in rural areas decreased rapidly, approximately 1.5%/year on average. The landscape is constantly improving as more and more green, clean and beautiful communes have appeared.

The extensive effect of this historical achievement has become the foundation for a widespread movement in the whole society. The countryside has truly turned over a new leaf, more beautiful and spacious than ever. Essential infrastructure for traffic, irrigation, electricity, telecommunications, culture, health care, and education has received more attention and synchronous investment. The "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) program, despite still being in its early stages, has achieved positive results in many localities around the country.

The new context calls for new policies to develop ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’, specify the Resolution of the XIII Congress, take advantage of opportunities in the industrial revolution 4.0, and help digital transformation, as well as international integration, take root more and more deeply in agriculture.

Specific goals by 2030:

• GDP agriculture growth rate maintains at 3%/year;
• The growth rate of agricultural labor productivity reaches an average of 5.5-6%/year;
• rural service industry growth rate exceeds 10%/year;
• Over 90% of communes meet new rural standards according to the current criteria;
• Rural people’s average income in 2030 increases by 2.5-3 times compared to 2020;
• Agricultural workers occupy approximately 15% of the total number of social workers.

"The path of realizing these goals asks for synchronous completion of new institutions to promote development in the direction of "Ecological Agriculture - Vibrant Countryside - Innovative Farmers". Guidelines, policies and laws on obstacle removal and agriculture promotion need to be supplemented and perfected to bring Vietnam's ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ to a new stage of development," said Head of the Central Economic Commission Tran Tuan Anh.

Training digital farmers

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam, the agricultural sector continues to identify its strengths more clearly after over thirteen years of implementing Resolution 26 and thus restructuring to secure a moderate added value and growth rate for many years to come.

The people are well aware of the Party and State's policy regarding new rural construction. They actively contribute their strength and material wealth, and so the face of the countryside has experienced remarkable changes.

“The key issue is to improve the physical and mental life of farmers. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development proposes to develop the “Decree on Rural Development Planning Management” due to an abundance of problems present in the management of land and employment in the countryside," said Deputy Minister Tran Thanh Nam.

Also raising the issue of improving farmers' income, Mr. Luong Quoc Doan, Central Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers' Union, said that the Resolution 26 implementation process has yet proven to be effective. The core role of cooperatives has not been brought into play. The quality of human resources is also affected by the tendency of farmers migrating from rural to urban areas and the labor export phenomenon.

Standing Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Thi Tuyen suggested the National Assembly Party Committee studies and soon amends the Land Law to remove inadequacies in the current management and use of agricultural land.

There should be specific regulations on land accumulation and concentration. Mechanisms and policies need to be open to offer higher autonomy for people who are allocated and leased land and create favorable conditions for the development of large-scale specialized production.

Ms. Tuyen also proposed the Government soon issues the "National Target Program on New Rural Construction" for the current period, particularly the "National Criteria for New Rural areas" at all levels, as well as “One Commune One Product” (OCOP) program in the 2021-2025 period so that localities can lay out the base for organization and implementation.

Clearly identify the position of ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’

Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong stated that he also agrees with the draft report on the implementation of Resolution 26.

The overall results of the implementation can confirm: Agriculture has clearly developed. The changes in new countryside can be deemed a historical turning point. Farmer's life has improved significantly. Resolution 26 is steadily affirming its mission in Vietnam's development.

From his point of view, ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ are not only important but also the foundation for Vietnam's advantages in development.

Agriculture still holds ample potential: Geographical-wise, the beautiful countryside landscape in Vietnam is everywhere to contemplate. Vietnam’s culture is imbued with national identity. These features (and many more) are the room for development in a future tourism economy.

"With the correct identification of the position of ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ will we be able to focus more on direction and investment. Personally, I think by 2030 people's income in rural areas would increase at least 3 times or more compared to 2020," Mr. Cuong said.

Resolutions must be clear, coherent and feasible

Mr. Vo Van Thuong, Politburo Member, Permanent Member of the Secretariat, said that ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ have been strategic matters since the birth of the Communist Party, always identified as one of the most important tasks of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

However, in the context that great changes are occurring in the country and in the world, the missions of developing and protecting the country in the new situation call for an improvement in the implementation of the ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ development tasks.

“The time is nigh to review the implementation of Resolution 26-NQ/TW and also for the Central Committee to issue a new Resolution on matters concerning agriculture, countryside, and farmers," said Mr. Thuong.

Suggesting perspectives, goals and solutions for the new Resolution, Standing Committee of the Secretariat Vo Van Thuong requested:

Firstly, ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ will continue to be matters of strategic significance for Vietnam’s new development stage. Well-resolving these matters is considered an important prerequisite to achieving the goals by 2030 - vision to 2045.

Secondly, party committees, organizations, ministries and branches at all levels must raise awareness in terms of position, role, and strategic significance of ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’.

Thirdly, the Resolution’s goals and solutions of must be clear, coherent and feasible. It is ultimately required to identify breakthrough solutions suitable for each stage and have a guideline for implementation in order to avoid cases of being too general.

Fourthly, the new Resolution must create drastic changes in ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ on the basis of “what has been done well will continue to be encouraged”, “new solutions to solve new problems”, and “minimize limitations and weaknesses”.

Collecting opinions regarding the name of the new Resolution

The Central Steering Committee summarizes Resolution 26-NQ/TW and proposes the Politburo to consider submitting to the Central Committee for the promulgation of a new Resolution regarding ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ with two options for the name:

The first option is “the Resolution of the Fifth Conference, Party Central Committee, term XIII, regarding ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ in the 2021-2030 period - vision to 2045”.

The second option is “the Resolution of the Fifth Conference, Party Central Committee, term XIII, regarding "Ecological Agriculture - Vibrant Countryside - Innovative Farmers".

Standing Committee of the Secretariat Vo Van Thuong highly appreciated the enthusiastic, concise and practical comments of the delegates attending the Conference as well as important solutions to promote the ‘agriculture - countryside - farmers’ development.

Mr. Thuong asked the delegates to continue to research and contribute ideas. On that basis, the Steering Committee and the Editorial Team will receive the ideas and complete the Summary Report to request comments from the Politburo before submitting it to the Central Committee. The aim is to ensure the quality of work according to the set plan (expected to be around March to May 2022). After submitting to Central it will be immediately documented for specific implementation.