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5.5.3. Opportunities and challenges
            The biggest opportunity that the economic-technical team model brings to farmers in the farming
            process is timely and effective technical support through state agricultural extension activities. The
            connection between farmers and technical staff is more frequent and closer. This model requires the
            preparation of knowledge and understanding of agricultural farming practices for staff in the team,
            minimizing conservatism and lack of dynamism.
                These activities have helped the technical staff to have conditions to practice in real life and
            from that they can accumulate a lot of experience to improve their professional qualifications, skills
            and knowledge.
                This model is good lessons for the implementation of the model of community extension network
            in the agricultural extension renewal strategy of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
                During its operation, the Technical and Economic Team also encountered many difficulties and
            challenges. First of all, with low wages, it is difficult to mobilize a contingent of highly qualified
            staff. Many technical staff, although working for a long time, still receive only low salary according
            to their trained qualifications, so they are not satisfied with their work. Moreover, the budget
            allocated to the technical and economic team is too low, only enough to maintain political activities
            according to the functions and tasks set out, but not yet be able to do more services for farmers to
            earn additional income.

            5.5.4. Conclusion
            The model of economic and technical team in Kien Giang province has partly brought out positive
            aspects in connecting agricultural extension activities with farmers in the process of agricultural
            and rural development in the area. Demonstration models are adopted by people faster. Diseases on
            crops and livestock are monitored in a timely manner and effectively reduce significant economic and
            environmental losses. The agricultural extension team works side by side with farmers on transferring
            science and technology, significantly contributing to improving the lives of people, changing the
            face of the countryside by practical jobs. In addition to the role of transferring technical advances,
            the Economic and Technical Team also contributes to advising commune leaders in fields related to
            agricultural production in the locality.
                From the important contributions of the Agricultural Economic and Economic Team over the past
            time, it can be affirmed that the position and indispensable role of the agricultural extension network
            activities at the grassroots level in the development of agriculture, farmers and rural areas. More
            importantly, the operation of the grassroots agricultural extension network also has great political
            and social security significance, especially in remote and isolated areas; contributed greatly to the
            National Target Program on hunger eradication and poverty reduction, agricultural restructuring and
            new rural construction of Kien Giang province.
                With these advantages, the economic and technical team model can be good lessons learned for the
            development of the community agricultural extension system in the future.

            5.6.  Model of Forest Land Allocation with Participation of Farmers
                  in Bac Kan Province

            5.6.1. General information
            Land and forest allocation in Vietnam has been implemented since the 1980s under the policy
            of “making each land area, each forest, and every hill owned by someone with the expectation of
            preventing deforestation, improving forest cover, forest quality and poverty alleviation”. Forest land is
            allocated to user groups such as state-owned forestry enterprises, communities, and households. Forest


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