Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs
Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs
Challenges to Rural Poverty Reduction in Viet Nam - Oxfam Blogs
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Participa<strong>to</strong>ry poverty moni<strong>to</strong>r<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> rural communities <strong>in</strong> <strong>Viet</strong> <strong>Nam</strong><br />
74<br />
TABLE 2.11. Percent of households without non-agricultural <strong>in</strong>come sources,<br />
2007-2011 (%)<br />
Commune 2007 2011<br />
Thuan Hoa 56 33<br />
Ban Lien 67 67<br />
Thanh Xuong 15 19<br />
Luong M<strong>in</strong>h 54 38<br />
Duc Huong 35 28<br />
Xy 37 30<br />
Cu Hue 29 46<br />
Phuoc Dai 22 24<br />
Phuoc Thanh 28 28<br />
Thuan Hoa 12 7<br />
Average 36 32<br />
SOURCE: Household <strong>in</strong>terviews<br />
None of the twenty surveyed villages is strong <strong>in</strong> food process<strong>in</strong>g, small <strong>in</strong>dustry or<br />
handicrafts. Some activities such as forg<strong>in</strong>g metal, embroidery and weav<strong>in</strong>g are only for<br />
self-consumption. Non-agricultural <strong>in</strong>come is ma<strong>in</strong>ly from wages, allowances, casual jobs<br />
and migrant work (see Section 5 “Labour mobility and gender impacts “).<br />
Farm<strong>in</strong>g and the rural economy has been slow <strong>to</strong> restructure <strong>in</strong> mounta<strong>in</strong>ous<br />
areas. For households engaged primarily <strong>in</strong> agriculture the chosen farm<strong>in</strong>g model, scale<br />
of production, level of <strong>in</strong>vestment <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>tensive farm<strong>in</strong>g and application of improved<br />
techniques determ<strong>in</strong>es the <strong>in</strong>come gap between households. Most residents <strong>in</strong> remote<br />
mounta<strong>in</strong>ous sites are still dependent on upland, hill side farm<strong>in</strong>g, which produces only<br />
one crop a year and is subject <strong>to</strong> significant risk. “Crop rotation”, “<strong>in</strong>ter-cropp<strong>in</strong>g”, and<br />
“crop expansion” are techniques used by ethnic m<strong>in</strong>orities <strong>to</strong> diversify <strong>in</strong>comes and<br />
manage risk. However, <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g pressure on the land has reduced the length of time<br />
land is left fallow. In delta communes such as Thanh Xuong-Dien Bien, Cu Hue-Dak Lak<br />
and Thuan Hoa-Tra V<strong>in</strong>h, people have better land, capital, market <strong>in</strong>formation and risk<br />
cop<strong>in</strong>g capacities. Many comb<strong>in</strong>e rice, maize, vegetables, subsidiary crops and shortterm<br />
and long-term <strong>in</strong>dustrial crops. Investments <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>tensive farm<strong>in</strong>g have <strong>in</strong>creased the<br />
number of crops <strong>to</strong> 2-3 a year.<br />
Access <strong>to</strong> markets<br />
Access <strong>to</strong> markets has improved, but differences rema<strong>in</strong> between surveyed sites. The<br />
proportion of households who sell no products and buy no agricultural materials has<br />
decl<strong>in</strong>ed slightly <strong>in</strong> the last five years (Table 2.12).