Mr. Kim Ngoc, former Secretary of the Vinh Phuc provincial Party Committee. (Photo: vov.vn)

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung of Vinh Phuc province first met Kim Ngoc in 1968 and heard about his “Land to the tiller” initiative to improve the area’s stagnant production. Under this initiative, farmers would be responsible for and benefit from their own land.

“At that time, production and agricultural cooperatives were still underdeveloped and many farmers still worked in an irresponsible manner. Mr. Ngoc initiated a policy to give land to the farmers who took control and benefited from the land,” said Mr. Hung.

After much research and many fact-finding trips to farming households, Ngoc piloted a model of giving land to the farmers to improve agricultural productivity. His initiative was rejected at the time as unworkable.

In 1988, the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam issued a resolution on renovating agricultural management which gave farmers responsibility for their own land and agricultural production. The original idea was Ngoc’s.

After just one year of implementing the resolution, Vietnam secured adequate rice supply and began to export rice. Mr. Le Thanh Y of the Vietnam Rural Development Science Association says Secretary Kim Ngoc was the person who dared to act for the benefit of farmers.

“I think Ngoc was brave to propose his 'Land to the tiller' idea. Such initiatives create breakthroughs for agricultural development. Mr. Ngoc’s idea was duplicated in other areas,” said Y.

Dr. Duong Minh Hue, a member of the Party History Institute of the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, said, “A leader needs to take action and take responsibility for the benefit of the people. Secretary Ngoc often listened to, shared with, and helped farmers solve their production problems. Ngoc’s initiative has proved effective in agricultural production.”