Need for a balanced and comprehensive craft village development policy
(Baonghean)Nghe An currently has 111 craft villages recognized by the Provincial People's Committee and 285 villages with crafts recognized by the District People's Committees. Craft village activities are quite diverse, in many fields, creating jobs for tens of thousands of farmers, contributing to the development of the local economy and improving people's lives. Many villages and communes have become rich thanks to the development of craft village economy.
However, the current limitations of craft villages are instability, lack of sustainability, and unbalanced and uncomprehensive development. Of the total 111 recognized craft villages, there are 43 rattan and bamboo weaving export craft villages, 17 food and food processing craft villages; 11 civil carpentry, fine arts, and drum making craft villages; 10 seafood processing craft villages; 9 sedge mat, broom, and do paper craft villages; 7 silkworm, crochet, and brocade weaving craft villages; 5 ornamental tree growing craft villages; the whole province has only 1 brick and tile craft village and 1 mechanical craft village. The distribution of craft villages in the districts is also uneven. Quynh Luu has 24 craft villages, Nghi Loc has 19 craft villages, Dien Chau has 18 craft villages, Yen Thanh has 11 craft villages; Do Luong and Nam Dan each district has only 3 craft villages; Tan Ky, Nghia Dan, and Anh Son each district has only 1 craft village. On March 8, 2010, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 1051/QD-UBND approving the Detailed Plan for Craft Village Development in Nghe An Province for the period 2011-2015. To implement this plan, it is necessary to advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue specific policies to develop craft villages in a balanced and comprehensive manner.
Clay pot making in Dien Chau. Photo: Canh Yen
Linking with enterprises is a decisive condition for the long-term existence and development of craft villages. Therefore, there should be a policy mechanism to encourage local enterprises to support the provision of raw materials and consumption of products for craft villages. Currently, only export rattan and bamboo weaving craft villages have a source of product consumption and raw material supply from export enterprises. Other craft villages all consume domestic products through local small businesses, or business goods consolidation service establishments, many craft villages consume products on the spot.
Currently, the capital support for craft villages is limited. Each recognized craft village is rewarded with 50 million VND. If there is an infrastructure investment project for craft villages approved by the Provincial People's Committee, the support mechanism is: highland areas support 70%, midland areas support 60%, and plain areas support 50%. According to this mechanism, localities without counterpart capital will find it difficult to implement the project. Vocational training support is implemented through the Cooperative Union with limited capital, so vocational training is limited.
Up to now, craft villages have chosen their own industries spontaneously, without planning and without the guidance of specialized agencies. Based on the approved planning, the Cooperative Union (the unit directly managing craft villages) needs to have a coordination mechanism with relevant departments and branches to direct craft villages to operate in many specialized fields.
The plan for developing Nghe An craft villages in the period of 2011-2015 sets a target of 3,500 billion VND in the value of small-scale industrial production by 2015, of which the production value from craft villages will reach 2,500 billion VND. Strive to have 150 craft villages and 500 villages with recognized crafts by 2015, effectively implementing the campaign of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development: "Each village, each craft, each product". To achieve the above targets, it is necessary to continue advising the Provincial People's Committee to issue appropriate policies to create conditions for craft villages to develop in a balanced and comprehensive manner in terms of both location and industry.
Tran Hong Co
