Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs

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Participatory poverty monitoring in rural communities in Viet Nam 38 BOX 1.6. Post natural disaster relief in Duc Huong commune Following floods in September and October 2010, people in Duc Huong commune (Vu Quang, Ha Tinh) received 90 tons of rice, clothing, food, household utensils and assistance from Government, agencies, mass organizations and benefactors. Nevertheless, the relief operation was problematic in a number of ways: • Too many relief delegations visited the commune at the same time, causing confusion • Aid was delayed by a month • The promise of aid meant some households did not attend to their farms. In 2010, the commune harvested only 90 of a potential 200 ha of winter corn crop. • Although the first instalment of aid went to poor households and households seriously affected by the floods later instalments for better off households were of higher values. • Aid was not distributed equally: “Households with only one person received the same amount as those having six members” (poor men in Huong Tho village, Duc Huong commune). Community-based natural disaster risk management has not yet been given sufficient attention. At most monitoring points, support measures only focused on post-natural disaster relief. There are no systematic measures addressing mitigation, prevention, adaptation and restoration, or which focus on community-based natural disaster risk management (under Decision 1002). Risk management has not yet been integrated into local socio-economic development planning. The “4-on-spot” measure 9 remains difficult. A typical case is Duc Huong, Ha Tinh. Although a “4-on spot” plan is made every year, it has proved difficult to implement for a number of reasons. These include rudimentary equipment, insufficient information, poor communication, limited food and manpower and insufficient community awareness of how to prevent natural disasters. Pests, diseases, and epidemics Pests and diseases are more complicated. In 2009, four communes were attacked by pests compared to two communes in 2008. There were fewer pests and diseases in 2010 and 2011, although most monitoring points were still affected. The spring rice yield in Thuan Hoa -Ha Giang (2009), Thuan Hoa-Tra Vinh (2009) and Thanh Xuong-Dien Bien (2009 and 2010) was reduced by 20-30%. The poor appeared to be disproportionately affected, as they did not use pesticides in time, or did not use them properly. Support activities undertaken by all localities to help people prevent pests and diseases have not proved effective. Improved farming systems (IPM, SRI and ICM 10 ) have been introduced into some areas, but are very rarely applied (Box 1.7). 9 The 4-on-spot disaster prevention guideline comprises on-spot direction, on-spot forces, on-spot means and materials and on-spot logistics. 10 IPM is integrated pest management. SRI is system of rice intensification. ICM is integrated crop management, also known as “3 reductions, 3 increases” approach; in which “3 reductions” include reduction of the quantity of seeds or volume of water used, reduction of urea used, and reduction of pesticide; “3 increases” are increase of crop yields, increase of quality of agricultural produce, increase of economic efficiency over an acreage unit.
Five-year Synthesis Report Part 1: Poverty Trends and Key Themes of Rural Poverty Reduction BOX 1.7. Difficulties applying Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Thanh Xuong commune 39 Using too much of one variety sensitive to pests and diseases. In Thanh Xuong commune (Dien Bien district, Dien Bien province), both well-off and poor households grow Bac Thom rice variety - the sale price is higher but it is susceptible to pests and diseases. The Dien Bien District Division of Agriculture and Rural Development recommended people diversify rice varieties. They suggested the Bac Thom variety should not cover more than 45% of the total rice acreage. However, many farmers grow 70% - 80% Bac Thom rice. High rice planting density. In Thanh Xuong-Dien Bien the density of planted rice is too high. Four to five kilograms of rice seeds are recommended for 1000 m 2 . Rice plants grow well, with strong stems and are highly resistant to pests and diseases. However, many households plant 8-12 kg of seeds per 1000 m 2 . The high density means the plants suffer from high humidity, brown pests and flecked-dry disease . Using fertilizer improperly. Many people use too much urea leading to weak rice leaves and stems and increased susceptibility to brown pests, leaf spots and blights. Excessive chemical fertilizer also causes rapid soil degeneration. Abuse of pesticide. Many households use pesticides as a “preventative” measure, often spraying ten or even fifteen times per crop. Some pesticide sale agents recommend farmers spray different types of pesticide at the same time. Frequent spraying or often improper sprays damages plants and does not kill pests. Poor households also choose cheap low quality pesticides that can be harmful. Careless field cleaning. Fallow periods between rice crops are often too short. Most farmers do not clean their fields, or properly prepare soil. As a result pests often survive between crops. Agricultural extension is not effective. Many commune agricultural extension workers do not have the capacity or knowledge to properly support farmers. Over the last five years there have been fewer epidemics affecting cattle. However, pigs and poultry suffer disease more frequently. Diseases such as congestion, Foot-and-mouth and fluke worm, prevalent before 2011, have been controlled. However, pigs and poultry are suffering more frequent epidemics. 2007- 2010 saw outbreaks of Pasteurellosis, Typhoid and “blue-ear pig epidemic” (pigs) and Newcastle and E.coli (poultry). In 2011, there were no large scale epidemics but there were pockets of disease. Due to epidemics and unfavourable prices, many households cannot or have chosen not to resume pig farming. Lack of measures for effective management of epidemics and development of cattle herds. Farming practices in many mountainous areas create difficulties for the management of cattle herds and vaccination programmes: • There are no cowsheds, and cattle are allowed to graze freely. • Vets are only contacted when cattle become seriously ill. Some communes do not have veterinary workers, and in others capacity is weak. • In mountainous areas, grazing areas are planning nor mapped. • Cattle are transported freely between regions facilitating the spread of disease. • Grass growing models for cattle during winter have often not been maintained. • Adverse weather conditions (abnormally hot and cold with high humidity) facilitate the spread of disease. • There are no systems in place to control and monitor epidemics.
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Part 3 Toward Sustainable Rural Pov
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