Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs

Five-year Synthesis Report
Part 2: Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam
7. IMPROVING ACCESS TO AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE
Agriculture, Forestry and Aquaculture extension services (called “agricultural extension
services” in general) can help reduce poverty in rural areas. This section part presents
feedback on extension services from the monitoring points at the end of 2011, based
on a quantitative survey in combination with group discussions and in-depth interviews
with agricultural extension services agencies and beneficiaries.
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7.1. Level of access to agricultural extension services
A significant number of households have access to basic agricultural extension
services, although the number accessing in-depth services is not high. About
half (52%) of the interviewed households accessed at least one agricultural extension
service in the previous 12 months, a similar proportion to 2007. The three most popular
services were “Training” (77%), “monitoring and dealing with diseases, immunization for
animals” (41%) and “providing subsidized plants, animals, fertilizer” (40%). However, the
number of households participating in “demonstration model” or “agricultural extension
services clubs, groups of community support” is low (11% and 16% respectively).
Women from both poor and non-poor households participate less in extension
services (Table 7.1). Nevertheless, the proportion of women participating in agricultural
extension services has increased over past five years. However, in ethnic minority
mountainous communes many still believe that men will benefit more from extension
services than women because they “get technical knowledge” better and “have better
social contacts”. In low-lying areas with Kinh domination, such as Thanh Xuong - Dien
Bien and Duc Huong - Ha Tinh, there are sometimes more women than men participating
in agricultural extension services as there is less of a gender bias and many men are
migrant workers.
TABLE 7.1. “In your family, who attends agricultural extension service training
the most?” 2011 (%)
Commune Husband Wife Son Daughter Others
Thuan Hoa 74 21 5 0 0
Ban Lien 79 7 14 0 0
Thanh Xuong 27 49 3 9 12
Luong Minh 62 23 0 15 0
Duc Huong 46 54 0 0 0
Xy 74 19 8 0 0
Cu Hue 65 31 0 4 0
Phuoc Dai 82 6 0 12 0
Phuoc Thanh 87 4 4 4 0
Thuan Hoa 62 31 0 0 8
Average 63 27 4 4 2
SOURCE: Households interviews