The success of the current national industrialization and modernization process largely relies on agricultural production, says State President Truong Tan Sang.

 Global integration poses numerous challenges, and agricultural development remains the cornerstone of maintaining social stability and food security, said Mr Sang at the annual Ploughing the Rice Field festival in Doi Son commune, Ha Nam province, on January 29.

 Looking back over the course of Vietnamese history, he noted that in all circumstances, agriculture, farmers and rural areas lay the basic foundation for developing politics, economy and social affairs. 

 “Since the Vietnamese nation was founded thousands of years ago, agriculture has been placed at the top position in national development,” said Mr Sang. “That’s why royal regimes from the Pre-Le to the Nguyen dynasties were interested in the Ploughing the Rice Field festival at the beginning of the lunar New Year.”

 According to the State President, the festival has become an important spiritual activity of a wet rice civilization which should be preserved and developed for future generations.

 The President said that being aware of the importance of agricultural production, the Communist Party of Vietnam has issued a resolution on agriculture and rural development which is being put into practice.

 He opened the festival in the hope of a bumper rice harvest in 2012 – the Year of the Dragon. 

 The festival originated in AD 987 when King Le Dai Hanh ploughed a field in Doi Son Commune of Duy Tien District, Ha Nam Province in order to encourage farmers to work hard and pray for a prosperous year.

 

(VOVNEWS)