Recognising the position and significance of the logistics in general and farming, production, and thrift in particular to improve the soldiers’ life and enhance the Army’s combat power, over the past year, the entire Army have promoted the implementation of this work with practical and appropriate contents and measures and achieved positive results.

In recent years, due to the impacts of climate change, natural disasters, and pandemics in different places, the production of food in a number of localities has faced several difficulties, that has made prices of essential goods increase and significantly affected the logistics in general and soldier nurturing in particular. In that context, the Military Logistics has actively researched and advised the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence, and the Party committees and commanders of units to strengthen the leadership and direction over the work of farming, production, and thrift and mobilise a large number of agencies, units, cadres, and soldiers to participate in. At the same time, it has promoted the core role of logistics cadres and staff at all levels in directing, guiding, and organising the implementation to achieve practical results. Based on the Ministry of National Defence’s investments, the units have gradually developed and expanded concentrated production towards in-depth, sustainability, content richness, and product diversity to meet increasingly high requirements. For improving the quality of soldier nurturing.

Farming products of the Brigade 242 (MR3)

In the coming years, it is forecasted that the world, regional, and domestic economic situation will continue developing complicatedly. Besides climate change, environmental pollution, natural disasters, potentially unpredictable pandemics, etc. prices of agricultural materials and food products tend to increase, while the budget for defence assurance is limited. Therefore, along with performing the "regular central political" tasks of training and combat readiness, the Party committees and commanders of agencies and units need to promote farming, production, and thrift to contribute to improving the soldiers’ life and enhancing the Army’s combat power.

First of all, to strengthen the leadership and direction of the Party committees and commanders at all levels, promote the core role of the logistics agencies in guiding and organising the implementation of farming, production, and thrift, and thoroughly overcome the shortcomings. Along with promoting propagation and education to raise awareness of cadres, soldiers, Party committees, and commanders of units, it is necessary to thoroughly grasp and creatively apply the superiors’ directives and resolutions on the undertakings and orientations for production development towards sustainability, practicality, and effectiveness, especially Directive No.10/CT-BQP issued on March 7^th, 2011 by the Ministry of National Defence on launching the movement entitled “The entire Army are actively in farming, production, and assurance of food sources to stabilise the soldiers’ life and Resolution No.623-NQ/QUTW is on October 29^th, 2012 by the Central Military Commission on Military Logistics to 2020 and beyond. Accordingly, it is required to review and promulgate regulations for leadership of labour, farming, and production that are included in regular and thematic leadership resolutions for implementation. The Logistics should actively research and advise the Party committees and commanders at all levels to develop annual and long-term farming and production plans in which the organisational mechanism, mode, and contents and criteria suitable to each type of unit and local characteristics should be clearly defined.

Secondly, to actively mobilise resources to invest in building and consolidating farming and production models and methods towards concentration, closeness, sustainability, and efficiency. To bring into full play the achieved results, the Party committees and commanders of units should adhere to the actual conditions, develop appropriate farming and production methods, and attach importance to closely combining cultivation and husbandry with processing. At the same time, it is necessary to direct to promote farming and production at company, battalion, and equivalent levels in association with the centralised kitchens to assure sources of regular and reserved food when needed to avoid bad effect on the quality of the soldiers’ meals and contribute to stabilising market prices and ensuring social affairs.

Along with that, the units should actively mobilise resources to invest in developing farming and production towards sustainability, environmental protection, and food hygiene and safety. Priority should be given to investments in building concentrated farming areas and gardens specialising in the cultivation of high-grade vegetables, tubers, and fruits for long-term reserves and developing farms for production of seeds and seedlings to assure source of seeds for production development. For local military units, it is required to the implementation of the project on building farming and production zones in association with combat and rear bases in defensive areas to maintain production and creation of local food sources for improving the soldiers’ life. It is also necessary to keep the local socio-economic stability and gradually prepare logistical supplies in the defensive area for combat forces when required. At the same time, attention should be paid to investing in building production and processing facilities in the logistics and rear bases to create regular and ready-to-use food sources in response to unexpected situations in the spirit of the Politburo's Resolution No.28-NQ/TW issued on September 22^nd, 2008 (the 10^th Tenure) and the Government’s Decree No.21/2019/ND-CP issued on February 22^nd, 2019 on defensive areas.

Thirdly, to promote research and application of scientific and technical advances and new technologies in production to improve productivity and product quality and protect the environment. Due to the special characteristics of their tasks, military units are often stationed in locations with difficult terrains, harsh weather, and narrow areas that have significant impacts on farming and production. To achieve the set objectives and requirements, they should both actively do farming around kitchens and in barracks and promote the application of scientific technologies and advanced technology in developing cultivation and husbandry models to ensure dosing in the soldiers’ meals. In the process of farming and production, the units should focus on the prevention and control of diseases of plants and animals, apply environmental treatment measures to minimize pollution from livestock wastes, and absolutely do use chemicals, antibiotics, pesticides, additives, colourants, and preservatives that are banned from use in food production and processing to ensure food safety.

The functional agencies of the Ministry of National Defence, directly the General Department of Logistics, should coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in supporting the development of pilot farming and production models in response to climate change and those for development of husbandry applying high technologies in hybridisation and creation of breeds to ensure environmental adaptation, rapid growth, and high nutritional quality for breeding, increasing food self-sufficiency, and replication throughout the Army. It is required to hold training courses on advanced technologies and techniques in husbandry and disease prevention and control and organise study tours to improve capacity and professional and technical qualifications for management cadres, leaders, and soldiers directly participating in this work at the units.

Finally, to strengthen the management and thrift and well organise the creation of concentrated sources and supplies to ensure food with high quality, food safety, and hygiene. In his life time, President Ho Chi Minh taught that "Farming and thrift are the two necessary aspects to develop the people's democracy towards socialism". Thoroughly grasping that spirit, along with promoting farming and production, agencies and units should closely combine assurance with strict management and maintenance of the principles and regimes of logistics and finance. In the immediate future, it is necessary to continue reviewing, supplementing, and consolidating the regulations on the management and use of budgets, gasoline, electricity, water, and barrack facilities and promote democracy, publication of standards and regimes, and combination of assignment of using targets and norms for each task and unit. During the implementation, the units should thoroughly practice thrift, strictly manage, preserve, and develop investment capital sources, and use farming and production products appropriately. Attention should be paid to researching, improving, and innovating processing quality, and promoting the advisory role of the Military Supplies agencies at all levels in surveying market prices in the stationing areas from time to time to maintain stability and improve the soldiers’ life.

Along with the aforementioned solutions, agencies, units and localities should promote the movement of farming and production in association with the emulation movements entitled "The Military Logistics follows Uncle Ho's teachings", "Building units good in soldier nurturing and military supplies manage”, and “Determination-to-Win” to promote the overall power and the movement of farming and production in the whole Army for constant broad and in-depth growth to contribute to improving the soldiers’ life.

Lieutenant  General VU HAI SAN, Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defence