Tra Vinh seeks sustainable poverty reduction solutions

Jasmine trees help Khmer ethnic people escape from poverty (Photo: VNA)

Tra Vinh (VNA) – A host of solutions for the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh to ensure sustainable poverty reduction have been proposed at a seminar on May 16.

The provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs suggested implementing lending policies, cutting tuition fees, granting health insurance, creating more jobs and investing in infrastructure in poor districts.

Duong Quang Ngoc, Deputy Director of the department, underlined the need for Tra Vinh to raise awareness among the poor, helping them become independent of the support of the State and the community.

Effective poverty reduction models should be duplicated across the province, the official said.

Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc De from the Rural Development Department under Can Tho University said farming land accounts for nearly 80 percent of Tra Vinh’s total area.

However, he said, large-scale production and capital shortage have hindered local farmers from applying technological and scientific advances.

Moreover, they have to face risks in production due to the limited access to market information and impacts of climate change, De said, stressing that in 2016, saltwater intrusion destroyed nearly 30,000 hectares of rice and 1,273 hectares of crop, and affected more than 2,700 households.

The Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs reported that during 2011-2015, nearly 52,000 households in Tra Vinh escaped from poverty but an additional 14,000 other households slipped into destitution.

A recent survey reveals that nearly 8,900 local households lack capital for production, over 12,000 have no land for cultivation and 2,137 others face the lack of production equipment.    

The Khmer ethnic group makes up nearly 32 percent of the province’s total population. At the end of 2016, 18,000 out of more than 30,000 poor households in Tra Vinh belong to the group.-VNA