In 2013, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong has seen 5,700 households escaping from poverty, including 3,800 households from ethnic minority groups. With the figure, the population living under the poverty line in the locality shrank to 4.3%, a 2.01% decrease from 2012. In Dam Rong district, which was classified among the country’s 62 poorest districts, poverty reduction efforts worked productively, reducing the percentage of people struggling against poverty from 16.3% to 5.87%. As many as 29 poverty-ridden communes in the province have been given VND29 billion ($1.36 million) as production financial assistance, which have been channeled to 3,000 near-poor and poor households to combat poverty. In addition to the State and Government’s programs and policies that support poverty reduction, the province has assisted locals in accessing science and technology advance to enhance plant and animal productivity and quality, thus allowing them to get rid of poverty. Lam Dong is home to 40 ethnic minority groups totaling 286,258 people, accounting for 24.1% of the province’s population. (vietnamplus.vn Dec 12)
