Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) Ninh Binh (VNA) – The Farmers’ Union of the northern province of Ninh Binh has implemented a project named “Ninh Binh farmers say no to dirty food” since 2016 with the goal of raising local farmers’ awareness about their own responsibility for ensuring food safety.
The project has successfully created remarkable changes in union members’ thinking, which has been translated into their actions in producing safe agricultural products.
Chapters at all level of the Ninh Binh Farmers’ Union are working towards the target of ending the use of banned substances in animal raising, cultivation, preservation and processing of agricultural products as well as the consumption of “dirty” food. They have been organising communication activities to educate union members and farmers on legal regulations on food safety, including knowledge contests on the issue, and encouraging cooperative groups and cooperatives to commit themselves to safe food production. The Farmers’ Union of the province has signed commitments with its chapters at districts and towns on implementing the “Ninh Binh farmers say no to dirty food” project during 2016-2020.
Vice Chairman of the provincial Farmers’ Union Nguyen Minh Loc reported that the union has organised a total of 1,740 talks on food safety and persuaded more than 124,000 households to sign commitments on ensuring food safety for their products.
In addition, the union also provided support in the form of seeds, credit and advice for food production and trading establishments to shift to safe practice. The union built 10 models of safe food production and trading, which have been now multiplied to more than 300 across the province.
Ninh Binh now boasts four stores selling clean farm produce, one each in Tam Diep and Ninh Binh cities, and Hoa Lu and Yen Mo districts. The stores offer goods with reliable origins, while serving as coordinators for farm produce trading chains between Ninh Binh and adjacent provinces. The Farmers Union plans to set up more similar stores in other districts.
Furthermore, the province’s Farmers’ Union has created a hotline to receive reports from the public on violations of food safety in the production and trading of food. Since 2016, the union has received 62 calls, prompting it to coordinate with competent agencies to conduct inspections of the production, trading and use of agricultural materials in the province.
The Union will continue with its educational activities targeting farmers and hold more training courses in the proper use of fertilisers and pesticides.-VNA
