The Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) recently held a policy dialogue in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang to support poor households to develop production. Participants discussed policies designed to help poor families in ethnic minority-inhabited and disadvantaged areas escape poverty. Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Minh Quyet said the locality has mobilized all capital resources to reduce the rate of poor households to below 15%, down almost 10% from five years ago. Ma Quang Trung, head of the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, speaks at the workshop. He highlighted effective models to reduce poverty such as rotational cultivation of rice and shrimp, aquaculture, raising cows, and growing vegetables and fruits. Ta Huu Nghia, head of the poverty reduction and rural social security division under MARD, said the national target program on rural poverty reduction has support policies to develop climate change adaptive production, diversify livelihoods, and expand poverty reduction models in disadvantaged communes. The delegates also shared difficulties and shortcomings in policies and exchanged experiences to implement them more effectively. (english.vov.vn Nov 11)
