(HBO) – Thanks to funding from programmes, projects, and the national target programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, Tan Lac district of Hoa Binh province has built infrastructure and assisted residents in particularly disadvantaged communes to develop livelihoods. As a result, it has gradually given a facelift to rural areas and improve local ethnic communities’ living conditions.
Having received seedling and cultivation assistance, Dinh Van Doanh, a resident in Buong Bai hamlet of Van Son commune (Tan Lac district), has developed a profitable tangerine farming model.
In 2019, the family of Dinh Van Doanh in Buong Bai hamlet of Van Son commune, a mountainous commune strong at tangerine cultivation, was provided with over 100 tangerine seedlings, cultivation guidance, and fertiliser under Programme 135 on socio-economic development in particularly disadvantaged communes in mountainous and remote areas. He reclaimed nearly 1ha of land to cultivate more tangerine varieties. He now has more than 400 trees able to be harvested.
Doanh said before cultivating tangerine, his family mainly farmed cassava and maize but did not earn much. After receiving seedling and fertiliser support, he switched to tangerine cultivation, which has generated over 50 million VND (2,100 USD) in annual income, much profitable than cassava and maize farming. Besides, he also raised chickens and pigs to raise income.
Xa Van Ha, Vice Chairman of the Van Son communal People’s Committee, said more than 98% of the local population are ethnic minority people. Thanks to the policy supporting socio-economic development in ethnic minority areas, people have gained access to many new plant varieties and cultivation techniques to develop suitable production models. Aside from tangerine, the commune is also forming a peach farming zone covering over 45ha as the plant suits local soil conditions and can help create beautiful landscapes for community-based tourism as directed by the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee.
Tan Lac district is home to 16 communal-level localities with 146 of the 159 hamlets located in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. Among them, there are nine communes with nine hamlets classified as particularly disadvantaged ones.
Under Programme 135, many transport, water supply, and irrigation facilities have been built in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. A number of production supporting projects have also been implemented effectively, helping ensure livelihoods for locals.
In its plan on the implementation of the national target programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2021 - 2025, Tan Lac set the target of reducing the household poverty rate by 2.5 - 3% in ethnic minority communities and 4 - 4.5% in particularly disadvantaged communes.
Bui Tien Luc, head of the district’s ethnic minority affairs division, said the policies on ethnic minorities have helped improved local residents’ life quality.
He noted the district is applying itself to building and expanding effective livelihood development models while assisting people to access scientific and technical advances, restructure crop and livestock farming. Apart from livelihood support, it also identified increasing investment in infrastructure as an important measure. The moves are expected to create a major impetus for Tan Lac to further improve the life quality and give a facelift to ethnic minority and mountainous areas in the coming time./.
