A cattle farming class for farmers in Vinh Trung commune, Vinh Linh district, central Quang Tri province. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – An increasing number of farmers have been trained to teach agricultural techniques to their peers, alleviating a lack of teachers in the field.
The teaching method has proven effective, as students can easily relate to their teachers, said Nguyen Hong Ly, Vice President of the Vietnam Farmers’ Association who introduced the model in Hanoi on May 12.
The teachers are normally excellent farmers who run a successful business and have a good reputation in their communities. They understand local customs and language, and can visit learners’ home to help them with their rich practical experience.
However, many of these teachers have no qualifications or presentation skills. Therefore, they have faced difficulties in gaining trust when teaching outside their localities.
Most of their classes suffer a lack of teaching materials, Ly said.
Short-term measures to address the issue include increasing State financial assistance for additional training courses for farmers-turned teachers and workshops.
The growth of the teaching model is important, as Vietnam aims to train 5.5 million rural labourers in the next five years.
Agricultures has transformed Vietnam from a food-hungry country into one of the world’s largest exporters of rice, rubber, cashew nuts and fisheries products.-VNA
