In many years, the program on profession village and profession in rural areas has brought many practical benefits to production households and establishments in localities in Khanh Hoa Province. However, there have been few of production models supported because of the limited fund.
In many years, the program on profession village and profession in rural areas has brought many practical benefits to production households and establishments in localities in Khanh Hoa Province. However, there have been few of production models supported because of the limited fund.
Contributing to promoting production in rural areas
In hundreds of years, members of Suoi Hiep 1 Cooperative (Dien Khanh Distric) had to hire tillage machines from other cooperatives; therefore, they could not have taken the initiative to plan the sowing time.
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| Nguyen Van Phung’s tea-leaf cutting machine supported by Agency of Rural Development. |
“Borrowing tillage machines from other cooperative has not only cost us much money (around VND2.8 million/hectare) but also caused the sowing time to start later, affecting the productivity. Especially, in recent years, our cooperative signed contracts to produce 50 hectares of high quality rice seed for some companies, so we really need the tillage machines in order to take proactive approaches to the production plan. However, the cooperative has not had enough capital,” said Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, head of Suoi Hiep 1 Cooperative.
Recently, members of Suoi Hiep 1 Cooperative have been so happy with the financial support (VND61 million) from the Agency of Rural Development (under Khanh Hoa Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development). Thanks to the support, the cooperative could buy tillage machine worth VND180 million, helping the cooperative’s members to take initiative in farming work and reduce production cost in the next 2014 - 2015 winter-spring rice crop.
The Agency of Rural Development has just also given the tea-leaf cutting machine to Nguyen Van Phung’s family, owner of Hoang Hoa Thon sweet tea production establishment (Phuoc Dong Commune, Nha Trang City). The machine worth VND56 million includes VND28 million funded by the State budget and VND28 million from the people’s contribution.
Reportedly, in the past, Phung had to hire local laborers to cut tea leaves. Each labor cuts only about two or three kilograms of tea leaves per day. The number of sweet tea purchasers has been increasing; therefore, working with manual method cannot create enough products to supply the customers. Since having been supported the tea-leaf cutting machine, Phung’s establishment has had nearly one ton of tea leaves cut per day. The machine helps to low the cost of hiring labor and improve the products’ design.
Above are two out of three production models which have received support from the program on profession village and profession in rural areas 2014. With a budget of around VND135 million per year, the program has created many practical effects, partly contributed to promote the production in rural areas.
Annual budget needs to be increased
According to the Agency of Rural Development, the program on profession village and profession in rural areas has been deploying in Khanh Hoa Province for four years. Every year, the agency associates with the localities to make surveys and select appropriate production households and establishments to offer support. However, the program’s budget has been maintained at VND135 million per year in four years. Therefore, there have been only two or three production models receiving support.
“Nowadays, there is more and more demand for developing profession village and profession in rural areas. This development helps to increase income for rural workers; creates typical agricultural products; helps people to utilize leisure time after harvest. Therefore, the program on profession village and profession in rural areas, especially in communes which are building to be qualified for new rural areas, really needs support from the State to encourage production,” said Truong Huu Lan, head of Agency of Rural Development.
According to Lan, the support should include not only investment in machines and production facilities but also coordination in changing designs, improving skill, enhancing management skills of production and marketing.
In order to help typical products of Khanh Hoa’s rural areas to gain a foothold in the market, the authorities need to raise annual fund for the program on profession village and profession in rural areas.
H.N
