Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Ca Mau (VNS/VNA) – The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau isstrengthening measures to develop craft villages as they face a shortageof materials and unstable prices for their products.
Under theprovince’s plan to 2020, it targets having 37 craft villagesnext year, up from the current 13.
Thecraft villages make dried fish, dried shrimp, dried banana, sedge mats,chopsticks and other products.
A shortageof materials, unstable product prices, a small quantity ofproducts, and low competitiveness are all contributing to the declineof craft villages, according to the province’s Department of Agricultureand Rural Development.
Tan Thanhsedge-mat weaving village in Ca Mau city’s Tan Thanh commune, which wasonce well known in the delta for its high quality, has cut backits production because customers now prefer using bamboo mats andmattresses.
Nguyen VanTran Vu, whose family has made sedge mats for three generations in the village,said that in the past especially on festival occasions such as Tet (LunarNew Year), his family could not meet the high demand for sedge mats.
Now, hesometimes has only a few customers ordering mats. “Sedge mats aredifficult to sell and can't compete (with similar products),” hesaid.
Cao ThịLoan, who has made sedge mats since she was young, said most youth were workingat companies or doing other jobs that offer higher incomes.
The livesof sedge-mat makers are unstable because of the lack of work, she said.
The lackof input materials, such as bamboo for weaving bags, baskets and otherproducts, has reduced employment for workers in craft villages.
Inaddition, many households in craft villages have not treated their wasteproperly, causing pollution.
Nguyen VanTranh, deputy director of the department, said the department was working withagencies to transfer advanced production technology and wastetreatment techniques to households in craft villages.
Severalcraft villages have restructured their operations to meet market demand,including establishing co-operatives or clubs to work with companies toproduce and sell products.
In Thoi Binhdistrict’s Tan Bang commune, where many households make weaving products likebags, baskets and other products from bamboo, the households have also faceda shortage of input materials.
In 2016,the commune set up a club that teaches people with disabilities to weave bambooproducts and make other handicraft products.
The club,which is open to poor women, has cooperated with a company inHCM City since last year. The company supplies materials for theclub to make bags from dried water hyacinth or dried banana ropes. Clubmembers can earn about 18,000 VND for each bag.
Cao NgocPham, chairman of the commune’s Fatherland Front Committee, said the club andthe company would expand production and create stable jobs forthe club members.
Tran HongQuan, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, noted that developingcraft villages is really necessary since they make use of localmaterials, create jobs for localresidents and preserve cultural characteristics of the area.
Toincrease income for workers, the province also plans to strengthenties with tourism companies to promote products from craft villages.-VNS/VNA
Under theprovince’s plan to 2020, it targets having 37 craft villagesnext year, up from the current 13.
Thecraft villages make dried fish, dried shrimp, dried banana, sedge mats,chopsticks and other products.
A shortageof materials, unstable product prices, a small quantity ofproducts, and low competitiveness are all contributing to the declineof craft villages, according to the province’s Department of Agricultureand Rural Development.
Tan Thanhsedge-mat weaving village in Ca Mau city’s Tan Thanh commune, which wasonce well known in the delta for its high quality, has cut backits production because customers now prefer using bamboo mats andmattresses.
Nguyen VanTran Vu, whose family has made sedge mats for three generations in the village,said that in the past especially on festival occasions such as Tet (LunarNew Year), his family could not meet the high demand for sedge mats.
Now, hesometimes has only a few customers ordering mats. “Sedge mats aredifficult to sell and can't compete (with similar products),” hesaid.
Cao ThịLoan, who has made sedge mats since she was young, said most youth were workingat companies or doing other jobs that offer higher incomes.
The livesof sedge-mat makers are unstable because of the lack of work, she said.
The lackof input materials, such as bamboo for weaving bags, baskets and otherproducts, has reduced employment for workers in craft villages.
Inaddition, many households in craft villages have not treated their wasteproperly, causing pollution.
Nguyen VanTranh, deputy director of the department, said the department was working withagencies to transfer advanced production technology and wastetreatment techniques to households in craft villages.
Severalcraft villages have restructured their operations to meet market demand,including establishing co-operatives or clubs to work with companies toproduce and sell products.
In Thoi Binhdistrict’s Tan Bang commune, where many households make weaving products likebags, baskets and other products from bamboo, the households have also faceda shortage of input materials.
In 2016,the commune set up a club that teaches people with disabilities to weave bambooproducts and make other handicraft products.
The club,which is open to poor women, has cooperated with a company inHCM City since last year. The company supplies materials for theclub to make bags from dried water hyacinth or dried banana ropes. Clubmembers can earn about 18,000 VND for each bag.
Cao NgocPham, chairman of the commune’s Fatherland Front Committee, said the club andthe company would expand production and create stable jobs forthe club members.
Tran HongQuan, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, noted that developingcraft villages is really necessary since they make use of localmaterials, create jobs for localresidents and preserve cultural characteristics of the area.
Toincrease income for workers, the province also plans to strengthenties with tourism companies to promote products from craft villages.-VNS/VNA
VNA
