Ca Mau (VNA) – As Vietnam gears up for the 14th National Party Congress, slated for early next year, officials, Party members, and residents across the southernmost province of Ca Mau are discussing the event's draft documents in a democratic, responsible, and engaged spirit.
Farmers, ecological agriculture at the core
Nguyen Hoang Thoai, Chairman of the provincial Farmers’ Union, proposed further leveraging the role of farmers in the industrialisation and modernisation of agriculture and rural areas to meet the national targets for 2025–2030, with a vision to 2045.
A local campaign to recognise top-performing farmers has gained traction, with more than 62% of farming households registered and nearly 128,000 honoured for excellence. Many have lifted incomes and become community role models, he said.
The union called for tailored policies to facilitate cash crop production, land accumulation for large-scale farming, as well as ecological, organic, circular and low-emission models, particularly those adapted to climate change in the Mekong Delta – the largest agricultural hub of Vietnam. It also sought to bolster credit, insurance, technology transfer, and market development mechanisms for agriculture.
Additional proposals include empowering new-style cooperatives, establishing the union as a coordinator linking the State, scientists, businesses and farmers, and promoting value chain production and integration into the world.
Amid strong, comprehensive, and widespread digital transformation, the Ca Mau Farmers’ Union proposed central authorities provide support in agriculture digitalisation, farmer training in digital skills, e-commerce for farm produce trading, product traceability, and smart production management.
Vocational training and refresher courses targeting younger farmers are also necessary to create a contingent of “professional farmers”, Thoai said.
Infrastructure development, especially transport, irrigation, power, clean water and digital networks, should be prioritised for rural, coastal, and key production zones, alongside support for communities facing climate change, salinity intrusion, and erosion.
Thoai also suggested the Party and State devise mechanisms and policies for reinforcing the role of farmers' unions across levels as the core driver of agricultural and rural development.
Resource allocation aligned with power decentralisation
Duong Quoc Nhan, Secretary of the Dong Hai commune Party Committee, discussed the quality of commune-level officials and fair compensation for their workload. He noted that beyond meeting general Party standards, local officials should be selected based on integrity, capability and a commitment to community development. Salary and allowance systems should also be adjusted to reflect their responsibilities.
He tied effective decentralisation and delegation of authority to adequate resource allocation to foster socio-economic development, particularly for potential areas of Ca Mau such as renewable energy, high-tech shrimp farming, salt production, and coastal eco-tourism to boost incomes.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Trung Tin from Ninh Thanh Loi commune advocated investments in transport infrastructure and technology transfer to modernise farming and spur rural growth in the face of climate change impacts./.
VNA
