Circular No. 04/2009/TT-BNN guides the duties of technical staff in the Agriculture and Rural Development sector working at the commune level.

CIRCULAR

Guidelines for the Duties of Professional and Technical Staff in the Agriculture Sector and Rural Development Working at the Commune Level

 and Rural Development Working on the Commune Level

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Pursuant to Decree No. 01/2008/NĐ-CP dated January 3, 2008, of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development;

Based on Circular No. 61/2008/TTLT-BNN-BNV dated May 15, 2008, jointly issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Home Affairs, guiding the functions, tasks, authorities, and organizational structure of specialized agencies under provincial and district People's Committees and the management tasks of commune-level People's Committees regarding agriculture and rural development;

To provide specialized organizations under the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development with a basis for selecting, contracting, or mobilizing and guiding activities for the team of professional and technical staff working on the commune level (hereinafter referred to as the commune-level agricultural technical staff team), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development guides the duties of the commune-level agricultural technical staff team as follows:

Part I

GENERAL TASKS

The commune-level agricultural technical staff team has the following main tasks:

1. Assist the commune-level People's Committee in organizing and guiding the implementation of planning, programs, plans, and proposals encouraging the development of agriculture, forestry, salt industry, aquaculture, water conservancy, and rural development.

2. Propagate and disseminate laws and policies of the Party and State concerning agriculture and rural development.

3. Aggregate and guide annual production plans for agriculture, salt industry, aquaculture, forest development; guide farmers in implementing technical measures to adjust economic structures, crops, and livestock in agricultural and forestry production, aquaculture according to approved planning and plans.

4. Develop plans, mobilize forces, and organize the implementation of disease prevention and control for crops, livestock, and aquaculture; organize the implementation of maintenance and protection of dykes, embankments, field boundaries, specialized facilities, and forests; fire prevention and firefighting in forests, preventing illegal logging and forest destruction, and mitigating the consequences of droughts, typhoons, floods, waterlogging, landslides, and forest fires; timely measures to prevent violations of laws on dyke protection, forest protection, and specialized facilities in the locality.

5. Assist the commune-level People's Committee in supervising the construction of small-scale water conservancy works, rural clean water projects, and irrigation networks; the use of water in water conservancy works and rural clean water projects within the jurisdiction according to the law.

6. Coordinate in guiding the implementation and inspecting the statistics of agricultural land, forestry land, salt industry land, forest statistics, forest inventory, natural resource changes in forests, and the number of livestock and poultry in the commune according to regulations. Aggregate the progress of agricultural, forestry, fisheries, and salt industry production.

7. Guide the exploitation and development of traditional rural industries and trades; apply scientific and technological advancements to develop production and new industries and trades to address employment, improve working and living conditions for workers, and enhance the livelihoods of local residents.

8. Assist the commune-level People's Committee in implementing quality management tasks for agricultural products, crop seeds, livestock breeds, fertilizers, animal feed, plant protection chemicals, veterinary drugs, and food safety on the commune level according to regulations.

9. Assist the commune-level People's Committee in organizing the provision of public services related to agriculture and rural development; consolidate community-based organizations according to regulations.

10. Report regularly and promptly on the situation of agricultural, forestry, salt industry, aquaculture production, water conservancy work, and rural development in the commune according to regulations.

Part II

ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND SPECIFIC TASKS

I. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE COMMUNE-LEVEL AGRICULTURAL TECHNICAL STAFF TEAM

1. Professional and technical staff working on the commune level are decided by the provincial People's Committee, including:

a) Plant protection personnel (also responsible for crop cultivation tasks);

b) Veterinary personnel (also responsible for livestock breeding and aquaculture tasks);

c) Water conservancy personnel;

d) Agricultural extension and fishery extension personnel;

đ) Forestry rangers performing forestry tasks in communes with forests.

2. Network of cooperators:

The network of cooperators performs tasks in cooperation to implement agricultural and rural development services belonging to voluntary and self-managed community organizations, comprising representatives from organizations such as Cooperatives; Teams; Groups (forest protection, irrigation, clean water supply, and rural environmental sanitation); Clubs; Branches; Agricultural extensionists; Individuals practicing veterinary services, plant protection, ...

The network of cooperators registers their activities according to regulations or charters approved by the commune-level People's Committee.

II. SPECIFIC TASKS OF THE COMMUNE-LEVEL AGRICULTURAL TECHNICAL STAFF TEAM

1. Plant protection personnel:

a) Participate in developing programs, plans, and proposals encouraging the development of agricultural crops; adjusting crop structures and cropping seasons;

b) Propagate and disseminate policies and professional knowledge about crop cultivation and plant protection;

c) Aggregate and guide annual crop development plans; guide farmers on production procedures, technical measures for crop cultivation and plant protection, and crop structure adjustment in agricultural production according to approved planning and plans;

d) Aggregate and report promptly on crop cultivation and pest situations; propose and guide technical measures for disease prevention and control in crops according to plans and guidance from the District Plant Protection Station;

đ) Develop plans and measures to mobilize forces and implement or coordinate with the implementation of contents approved by the District Plant Protection Station;

e) Assist the Chairman of the commune-level People's Committee in guiding the operation of the system providing public services related to crop cultivation and plant protection and individuals engaged in selling plant protection chemicals. Implement agricultural extension work on plant protection according to approved plans and plant protection services in the commune according to regulations;

g) Report periodically and urgently on the situation of crop production, plant diseases, and the work of preventing and controlling plant diseases in the locality;

h) Plant protection staff perform tasks related to managing the quality of crop seeds, fertilizers, and food safety in the commune according to the guidance of higher state management agencies;

i) Carry out other tasks assigned by the County Plant Protection Station and the Commune People's Committee.

2. Veterinary staff:

a) Participate in developing programs, plans, and projects to encourage the development and restructuring of livestock (including aquaculture) in agricultural production;

b) Promote and disseminate policies, regulations, and professional knowledge on animal husbandry, aquaculture, and veterinary science;

c) Summarize and guide annual livestock development plans; instruct farmers on production procedures, implement technical measures for animal husbandry and veterinary practices, and livestock restructuring in agricultural production according to approved planning and programs;

d) Summarize and report promptly on the situation of animal husbandry and animal diseases; propose and guide technical measures for preventing and controlling animal diseases and treating animals according to the County Veterinary Station's plan and guidance;

đ) Develop plans and measures to mobilize forces and implement or coordinate with the implementation of contents approved and guided by the County Veterinary Station;

e) Guide the implementation of mandatory disease prevention regulations for animals, quarantine of animals, buying and selling of animals and animal products, hygiene, disinfection, and the use and administration of vaccines for animal disease prevention in the commune;

g) Coordinate in carrying out disinfection and decontamination for facilities related to veterinary work, transportation vehicles for animals and animal products, and environmental recovery after stamping out aquatic animal diseases in the commune as prescribed;

h) Assist the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee in guiding activities related to the provision of public services for animal husbandry and veterinary services, and individuals operating veterinary drugs. Implement agricultural extension work on veterinary services according to approved plans and veterinary services in the commune as prescribed;

i) Report periodically and urgently on the situation of animal diseases and the work of preventing and controlling animal diseases in the commune to the County Veterinary Station and the Commune People's Committee;

k) Veterinary staff perform tasks related to managing the quality of livestock breeds, animal feed, and food safety in the commune according to the guidance of higher state management agencies;

l) Carry out other tasks assigned by the County Veterinary Station and the Commune People's Committee.

3. Water Resources Staff:

a) Assist the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee in organizing the construction of small water conservancy works, clean water facilities, and rural environmental sanitation systems, and irrigation networks; guide the implementation of approved planning and programs;

b) Develop plans for repairing and protecting embankments, dykes, and field boundaries;

c) Inspect the condition of embankments, water conservancy works, and clean water facilities in the locality to develop plans and measures for mobilizing forces to prevent, combat, and mitigate the consequences of natural disasters such as droughts, typhoons, floods, waterlogging, landslides, and erosion; measures to promptly stop illegal acts against laws on embankments, flood control, exploitation, and protection of water conservancy works, and clean water facilities in the locality;

d) Coordinate in supervising the construction of small water conservancy works and irrigation networks; guide the use of water in water conservancy works and rural clean water facilities in the locality;

đ) Assist the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee in guiding activities related to irrigation and drainage service systems and water user organizations involving community participation as prescribed. Propose solutions to disputes and complaints about the exploitation and use of clean water between households using water from small water conservancy works managed by water user organizations or villages;

e) Report periodically and urgently on water resources work, embankment protection, and water conservancy work; prevention, combat, and mitigation of the consequences of natural disasters such as droughts, typhoons, floods, waterlogging, landslides, and erosion in the commune as prescribed;

g) Carry out other tasks assigned by higher state management agencies and the Commune People's Committee.

4. Agricultural and Fisheries Extension Staff:

a) Provide guidance and information to producers, promote Party and State policies, scientific and technological progress, market information, prices, and exemplary practices in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and salt production;

b) Train and educate producers to improve their knowledge and skills in production and economic management; organize tours, surveys, and learning sessions for producers;

c) Develop demonstration models of scientific and technological advancements suitable for local conditions and producer needs, and transfer these model results to a wider scale;

d) Receive and reflect to competent authorities the aspirations of farmers regarding science and technology and policy mechanisms in the agricultural sector and rural development;

đ) Consulting and service in the following areas:

- Policy and legal advice on markets, science and technology, applying advanced experiences in production and business, developing agriculture, forestry, fisheries, salt production, and water conservancy, and rural development;

- Advice on post-harvest technology application and processing of agricultural and forest products, seafood, and salt production;

- Advice on the management and use of rural clean water and rural environmental sanitation;

- Support for improving and rationalizing production, reducing product costs of collective and private economic organizations in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, salt production, water conservancy, and rural development at the commune level;

- Services in legal areas, training, information provision, technology transfer, trade promotion, market prices, project development, provision of technical materials and equipment, and other activities related to agriculture and rural development as prescribed by law;

e) Carry out other tasks assigned by the County Agricultural and Fisheries Extension Station and the Commune People's Committee.

5. Forestry Official of the Local Area:

a) Advise and assist the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level in performing state management functions regarding forests and forest land; establish people's forest protection teams and firefighting teams, participate in preventing forest pests; develop plans and programs for forest management, protection, and development; guide and inspect the implementation after the plan has been approved; mobilize civilian defense forces and other resources and means for forest firefighting, preventing illegal deforestation;

b) Assist the People's Committee at the commune level in compiling and guiding annual plans for forestry development; guide farmers in implementing technical measures to adjust the structure of forestry crops according to approved planning and plans;

c) Conduct statistics and inventory of forests and forest land within the assigned area; inspect the use of forests by forest owners within the area; confirm the legal origin of forest products upon request from forest owners within the area;

d) Coordinate with forest protection forces within the area in protecting forests and preventing forest fires; guide and supervise forest owners in protecting and developing forests;

đ) Guide and mobilize community members in villages and hamlets to establish and implement village regulations for forest protection;

e) Promote and mobilize the public to comply with laws on forest protection and development;

g) Organize inspections, identify, and propose timely measures to prevent violations of laws on forest protection and development; handle administrative violations within their authority and assist the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level in handling administrative violations in forest management, forest protection, forest product management, and wildlife management as prescribed by law;

h) Report and seek guidance from the Head of the Forest Protection Division of the district and the Chairman of the People's Committee at the commune level; be subject to professional guidance from the Head of the Forest Protection Division of the district, forestry specialized agencies, and supervision by the People's Committee at the commune level;

Implement tasks related to forestry development as assigned by the Head of the Forest Protection Division at the county level and the People's Committee at the commune level.

Part III

IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall direct, guide, and inspect the implementation of this Circular.

2. This Circular shall take effect forty-five days from the date of issuance.

3. In the course of implementation, if there are any difficulties or suggestions for supplementation or amendment, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development./.