(VOVWORLD) - Thuan Chau district in Son La province has invested in socio-economic infrastructure, production development, and diversification of livelihoods to increase people's income and realize the goal of rapid, sustainable poverty reduction. This has ensured social security, achieved economic growth targets, and might help Thuan Chau escape the list of poor districts by 2025.
 Thuan Chau people are supported with fertilizers and farming techniques to grow blue dragon fruit pursuant to VietGAP standards. |
In 2018, Hoang Thi Thao’s family settled in Thuan Chau district. After looking for an economic development model suitable to their new living conditions, Thao's family decided to grow blue dragon fruit trees, on a small scale at first to learn and accumulate experience.
Thanks to the local government’s support of 70% of seeds and fertilizers to develop a growing model pursuant to the VietGAP standards, Thao now has 2 ha of blue dragon fruit trees, and earns more than 7,000 USD per year.
Thao recalled, “The local agriculture section has helped us with planting techniques, packaging, traceability stamps, and the VietGAP process. With a more stable source of income, we feel secure in growing blue dragon fruit.”
 Many poor households in Thuan Chau have received breeding cows. |
Thuan Chau has also developed an animal husbandry industry. People in the mountain communes have expanded their grass growing area to feed their livestock. The district now has more than 90,000 head of cattle and poultry.
As a poor household, Luong Van Dan’s family in Chieng Ly hamlet was given breeding cows.
Dan told VOV that when he was given a pair of breeding cows, everyone in the family was very excited. They hope the cows will help improve their household economy.
Thuan Chau district has 29 communes and one town, with a total of more than 38,000 households belonging to 5 ethnic groups.
To achieve the target of bringing Thuan Chau out of poverty by 2025, the district administration has promulgated many directives to guide the implementation of poverty reduction plans.
Local authorities have assessed poor and near-poor households by multi-dimensional poverty standards and supported them in health, education, housing, and production loans.
16,000 households in the district have received preferential loans worth nearly 30 million USD to invest in production.
Authorities have also introduced good models, effective methods, and households who have requested removal from the poverty list to inspire a spirit of self-help, self-improvement, and non-reliance on state support. Last year Thuan Chau’s poverty rate dropped from 37% to 31%.
Dinh Manh Hung, Vice Chairman of the Thuan Chau district People’s Committee, said that they have mobilized the entire political system and strengthened dissemination work to improve people's awareness and change their mindset so that they can better themselves to escape poverty.
“In addition, Thuan Chau has mobilized resources to develop facilities and infrastructure to aid economic development as well as to build and expand effective economic models throughout the community,” said Hung.
Thanks to the involvement of the entire political system and the determination and efforts of each individual, Thuan Chau is moving closer to its goal of escaping poverty by 2025.