Vietnam: new model developed by farmers to promote growth

The garden-pond-pigsty model has become increasingly widely used among Vietnamese farmers for one good reason: it works. The model, abbreviated in Vietnamese as VAC, combines orchard development, fish breeding in ponds and animal husbandry. Since the establishment of the Viet Nam Gardeners’ Association 20 years ago, VAC has strongly developed and expanded.

In the years after the American War, when the national economy was underdeveloped and many families were poor, the "nutritious VAC" programme was initiated by the association. Then, the model was very simple because farmers could only grow short-term vegetable plots and fruit trees and raise hens for eggs and thereby could provide nutritious diets for their families.

With the mottto "Everyone, every family, everywhere applies VAC," the nutritious VAC model has developed quickly. People have encouraged others to follow the model, and their successes have helped the State implement its strategy to fight malnutrition in the post-war period. At that time, there were many untended gardens and ponds and unused plots of land all over the country. The Gardeners’ Association mobilised a movement to make use of these resources, and people responded enthusiastically to the movement.

Depending on local climates and environmental features of different regions, people follow either the VAC, VA (developing gardens and fish ponds) or VC (developing gardens and animal husbandry) models or created alternatives. Other models based on the VAC model, such as VAC for families of contributors to the revolutionary cause or charity VAC for underprivileged people, have been implemented in all regions, generating income for those in need.

The success of the VAC model inspired belief in farmers that they could successfully develop their household economies. Many households voluntarily combined their land lots to create larger farms. In addition, many applied advanced farming technology to create an abundance of agricultural products. Viet Nam now has nearly 120,000 farms operating on different production models that generate income for farmers.

According to the association’s deputy chairman, Phi Van Ha, the movement helped transform the agricultural economy, improving crop and livestock raising to work toward the targets of each family earning VND50 million per hectare per year. "Countless numbers of members now have annual household incomes of VND50 million," Ha said.

To date, the number of Gardeners’ Association members has increased to 800,000 nationwide. This number provides evidence for the effectiveness of the VAC model. To help members develop VAC, the association has co-operated with international organisations and scientific research teams to give farmers orientations on market demands, in addition to providing them with crops and young livestock that suit each region.

As a result, all the members, whether Kinh or ethnic minority people, farmers or veterans, can develop their household economies based on the model. Trang A Cao, a member of the Mong ethnic minority, and his family used to go hungry for three to six months of the year in Van Ho Commune, Moc Chau District, in the northern mountainous province of Son La.

In 1993, he began to develop his own VAC farm with two hectares of orchards, two ha of corn fields, two ha of trees and 200sq.m of fish ponds, along with cattle, pigs and chickens. Since then, his family’s annual income has gradually increased, rising from VND35 million to top VND130 million last year. With this capital, they bought a new truck to provide transport services for other farmers.

Ngo The Dan, deputy chairman of the Gardeners’ Association, said following the VAC model is helpful in increasing production, but to expand the movement, members must be skilful and dedicated to their work. "Facing the need to improve the quality of agricultural products in order to integrate into the international economy, we will further train our members in gardening skills," he said. "As a result, their production will increase and they will enjoy economic success."

Source: vnagency.com.vn