New challenges to Vietnam’s agriculture, rural areas and farmers; Policy suggestion for the 2011-2020 period

Abstract

1. New challenges to Vietnam’s agriculture, rural areas and farmers in the coming period include

1.1. Challenges to agriculture and rural areas

(a). Resources for the agriculture and rural areas ( especially the land) have been eroded.

(b). The input cost for agriculture production has increased rapidly, whereas prices for agro-items slowed down leading to less incomes for farmers.

(c). Competitive edge in agriculture goes down.

(d). Difficulty for rural working force to find jobs.

(e). A wider gap between rural areas and urban areas.

(f). Industrialization process in the coming years will further narrow the farmland down and cause even more serious environmental and social problems in rural areas.

1.2. Challenges to farmers: Pressures from domestic and international market. Competition will rule out domestic farm products of poor quality. Farmers are vulnerable to the market rules.

2. Policy suggestions in the coming period includes

(a). An appropriate distribution of resources in agriculture, rural areas and farmers.

(b). Good master plans for rural-urban areas.

(c). Building infrastructure for agriculture, rural areas in a process of turning the agriculture into a commodity agriculture and a modern rural areas.

(d). Raising the incomes for farmers.

(e). Excercising the new thinking and realizing agriculture extension.

(f). Implementing the social policy for farmers.

(g). Raising the competence of the rural authorities and excercising democracy and the rule of law in rural areas./.