The Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam on Dec 16 held a meeting in Hanoi to review the implementation of a project on agriculture and rural development targeting to alleviate poverty in remote areas under the cooperation agreement between the Danish and Vietnamese governments. The $42-million project running from 2007 to 2013 has helped raise the living conditions of poor households in the northern provinces of Dien Bien, Lao Cai and Lai Chau, and the Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak and Dak Nong. The project focused on sustainable growth in the welfare of upland rural household and poor farmers, particularly women and ethnic minorities, welfare arising from improving improvements in re resources management, agricultural production and marketing, with a focus on the poor farmers, in particular women and ethnic minorities. During the six-year project, the average poverty rate in the five provinces drops considerably from more than 25% in 2007 to 10%-12% now. More than one million farmers and their families have benefited from the project and will continue to enjoy support for further participation in infrastructure and pilot models, said Danish Ambassador to Vietnam John Nielsen. Vietnam targets to reduce the number of poor households among ethnic minority groups by 4% per annum from now to 2020, as part of the newly-approved Ethnic Work Strategy. (Nong Thon Ngay Nay – Countryside Today Dec 17 p2, vov.vn Dec 16)
