An Giang is a province with strengths in rice production and aquaculture. The team of agricultural extension officers in the province has promoted the role of a solid bridge, putting policies into practice, contributing to changing production thinking, helping farmers access scientific and technological advances, increasing income and stabilizing their lives. Mr. Nguyen Van Long Ho, an agricultural extension officer of Hon Dat commune, has been attached to the fields and farmers for nearly 15 years. His thin figure, dark skin due to the sun and wind, and muddy sandals have become a familiar image to farmers when he visits the fields. During the production season, the work of grassroots agricultural extension officers is even more difficult. He regularly visits the base, each hamlet, each farming household to guide on planting techniques, pest control and application of new production models. With his simple, easy-to-listen voice and solid knowledge, new production techniques become easier to understand and do for farmers through his guidance.
According to Mr. Ho, science and technology are increasingly developing and have many innovations, while farmers have not yet grasped them in time, agricultural extension officers have to go directly to the field to guide them. "Especially, on days of erratic weather, storms, I still have to wade through the fields, go to each field to check and guide each step" - Mr. Ho shared. Thanks to Mr. Long's dedication, many farming households have boldly abandoned old farming practices, switching to applying advanced rice farming processes such as "3 reductions, 3 increases", "1 must, 5 reductions", reducing greenhouse gas emissions, concentrated sowing and planting, reducing the amount of rice seeds, integrated pest management (IPM), balanced fertilization according to the "4 rights" principle, the process of alternating flooding and drying... contributing to reducing costs, increasing productivity and quality of rice.
Agricultural extension officers and farmers of My Thuan commune exchange techniques on cultivating high-quality, low-emission rice.
Mr. Danh Suong, Director of Vinacam Hon Dat Agricultural Cooperative, said that in the past, farmers only sowed rice according to traditional practices: sowing thickly, fertilizing, and spraying pesticides based on intuition. Thanks to agricultural extension officers propagating and instructing new farming techniques such as reducing seeds, reducing fertilizers, and reducing pesticides, farmers have both saved on production costs and achieved high rice yields. "If the fields have pests, farmers call and the agricultural extension officers come to the fields to check and give instructions on how to handle them immediately," said Mr. Suong.
In order for farmers to “see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears” the effectiveness of new techniques in production, grassroots agricultural extension officers also actively encourage farmers to participate in many demonstration models of production techniques for rice, vegetables, fruit trees, livestock and aquaculture. With 20 years of working in the agricultural extension sector, Mr. Danh Nhiet (a provincial agricultural extension officer) has organized hundreds of training courses, transferred techniques and demonstration models of aquaculture to farmers. The models that he directly monitored and guided on have been replicated throughout the province such as: Raising fish in cages using HDPE plastic cages; raising high-tech industrial shrimp according to VietGAP, Global GAP, ASC standards; raising sweet snails; raising crabs in plastic boxes... helping farmers improve economic efficiency.
Mr. Nhiet also acts as a bridge between businesses and cooperatives, aquaculture farmers to link product consumption; support farmers in carrying out procedures for granting farming area codes... "I always hope that farmers will have a good harvest, good prices, income and a better life. What makes me happiest is not when I am rewarded, but when farmers believe, follow and change their production habits, especially when I hear that they have a good harvest. When farmers successfully apply new models and techniques to production, bringing high profits, I am very happy" - Mr. Nhiet shared.
According to Mr. Nhiet, in the past time, agricultural extension officers have worked with all their might and dedication. But in reality, their work is still difficult, lacking in facilities, and low support policies... "I hope that the central and provincial levels and sectors will pay attention and have better support policies so that grassroots agricultural extension officers have working conditions and more motivation to continue to work with farmers," Mr. Nhiet expressed.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/can-bo-khuyen-nong-dong-hanh-cung-nong-dan-a423673.html
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