To strengthen Vietnam’s agriculture policies, Danida supports comprehensive surveys of rural households. The surveys reveal interesting knowledge about the poor farmers.
Through a new programme for Agriculture and Rural Development, Danida supports preparation of Rural Household Surveys every second year until 2012. The support furthermore includes a pilot project called Farmer Monitoring System, which is going to be implemented in two provinces, and be aimed at examining farmers’ responses to policies.
The Rural Household Surveys are part of the effort to build up research capacity in the Vietnamese government. The surveys cover 12 poor provinces and are conducted to strengthen policy-formulation. The report “Characteristics of the Vietnamese Rural Economy” presents interesting statistics on the first survey:
The context for farming is characterised by
The Rural Household Surveys are part of the effort to build up research capacity in the Vietnamese government. The surveys cover 12 poor provinces and are conducted to strengthen policy-formulation. The report “Characteristics of the Vietnamese Rural Economy” presents interesting statistics on the first survey:
The context for farming is characterised by
- Land use is often highly restricted: Around 70% of the villages regulate the local farmers’ use of land, often with restrictions on the choice of crops.
- 72% of the rural communes have food markets; 51% are daily markets.
- Lack of transport infrastructure is a widespread problem: In the poorest provinces, the nearest “all weather road” is on average 2.5 km away.
The farming is characterised by
- Almost 90% of the rural households are involved in crop production and about 80% in livestock production. In crop producing households, around 90% uses chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
- In the poorest provinces in the north, 50% of the households have difficulties in getting needed equipment and ingredients for farming and in selling their products.
- Lack of processing capacity and information about market prices are according to the rural households the most prominent obstacles for making an earning on the farming products.
Information like the above is meant to be basis for livelihood analyses and policy impact assessments, including investigation of socio-economic issues, and equal and fair treatment according to law. In this way, the policy-formulation can be made well informed based on an updated database with more realistic and operative policies as outcome.
