On the morning of June 8, the IX National Congress of the Vietnam Farmers' Union, term 2026 - 2031, solemnly opened with nearly 600 outstanding delegates, representing nearly 10 million officials, members, and farmers nationwide attending.
Presenting directions, goals, and targets for the 2026 - 2031 term, Mr. Phan Nhu Nguyen - Standing Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Farmers' Union said that the Congress identified the direction for the next 5 years as building a strong Vietnam Farmers' Union; promoting the role of farmers as subjects and centers in agricultural development, rural economy and new rural construction.
Accordingly, the Vietnam Farmers' Union continues to innovate the content and methods of operation in the direction of streamlining the apparatus, being strong in politics, organization and action; taking members and farmers as the center, subjects, goals and motivation.
One of the orientations emphasized is to promote the role of good farmers in production and business, excellent farmers as factors to spread the spirit of innovation and the desire to rise up to get rich among farmers.
The activities of the Association in the new term are determined to be strongly oriented towards grassroots levels, associated with the practical interests of farmers; protecting the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of members and farmers; and at the same time measuring results and assessing impacts.
The Association also focuses on contents such as developing cooperatives, linkage clusters, processing, and markets; towards "green rural livelihood - digital agriculture - value chain - brand building - agricultural product consumption".
Regarding goals, the Vietnam Farmers' Union determined to continue building a clean, strong, and effective Union organization; building a streamlined and qualified team of Union officials at all levels, with sufficient qualities, capacity, prestige, and enthusiasm for Union work and the farmers' movement.
The Association will continue to innovate propaganda, mobilization, gathering, and solidarity among farmers; care for the material and spiritual life of farmers; improve farmers' mastery capacity in agricultural and rural economic development, collective economy, and private economy, meeting the requirements of the digital age.
In the 2026 - 2031 term, the Vietnam Farmers' Union also sets a goal to improve the quality of farmer movements in the direction of "reducing formality - increasing substance". The focus is the movement "Farmers emulate in good production and business, unite to help each other get rich and reduce poverty sustainably"; the movement "Cadres and members of farmers actively participate in collective economic development in agriculture" associated with the movement "Farmers say no to dirty food".
These movements will be associated with digital transformation, food safety standards, ensuring "green - clean - traceable", building brands and "passports" for agricultural products.
Notably, the Congress set out 11 specific targets for the 2026 - 2031 term. In which, the Association set a target of admitting 500,000 new members or more; establishing 25,000 new professional Farmers' Association groups, 2,500 professional Farmers' Association branches.
The Association also sets a target of consulting and supporting at least 18,000 professional Farmers' Association groups and 3,000 professional Farmers' Association branches to produce, process, and trade agricultural products and food according to safe quality processes and standards.
Another important target is to foster and train to improve the qualifications and skills of 250,000 excellent farmers and good production and business farmers at all levels. Annually, 60% or more of farming households register to strive and 50% or more of households register to achieve the title of good production and business at all levels.
In collective economic development, the Association aims to support the establishment of 5,000 new cooperative groups and 1,000 agricultural cooperatives; guide and support at least 4,500 cooperative groups and 1,500 agricultural cooperatives to produce, process, and trade according to safe quality processes and standards. Among them, there are at least 300 cooperatives connecting safe food supply chains.
The Congress also set out the goal that 100% of OCOP agricultural and food products mobilized, consulted, and supported by the Farmers' Association will be traceable; increase the Farmers Support Fund by an average of 10%/year or more; maintain entrusted debt balance with banks reaching 200,000 billion VND.
Regarding digital transformation and food safety, the Association aims to have at least 70% of farmer members equipped with digital knowledge and skills; over 95% of member households have correct knowledge and practice of food safety.
In particular, in the new term, the Vietnam Farmers' Union sets a goal to mobilize, guide, and support members and farmers to establish at least 5,000 businesses operating in the agricultural sector. This is one of the notable indicators, reflecting the direction of promoting farmers to shift from traditional production thinking to economic thinking, linking value chains and developing agriculture towards modernity.
