Simacai - Lao Cai: Poverty reduction on difficult land

To better understand the poverty reduction efforts on difficult land of Simacai district, we had a discussion with Mr. Ha Duc Minh, Secretary of Simacai district (Lao Cai) about this issue.

Reporter: Could you tell us what Si Ma Cai district has done in recent times to develop the socio-economy and sustainably reduce poverty?

Mr. Ha Duc Minh: Si Ma Cai - One of the poor border districts of Lao Cai province. Determining sustainable poverty reduction is a major and important policy in the process of implementing local political tasks. Therefore, one of the top socio-economic development goals of the Si Ma Cai District Party Committee is to promote sustainable poverty reduction.

To make poverty reduction work a reality, Simacai district has focused on improving the leadership capacity of grassroots party organizations; improving the quality of the entire political system, especially enhancing the role and responsibility of grassroots party committees in leading, directing, and organizing the implementation of socio-economic development tasks and poverty reduction at the grassroots level. Along with that, there are specific investment mechanisms and policies for poor communes, remote and isolated areas.

Mr. Ha Duc Minh, Secretary of Simacai district, Lao Cai province.

Specifically: effectively implementing the national target program on building new rural areas and sustainable poverty reduction of the central and local levels. At the same time, the district has issued and specified key programs, projects, and thematic resolutions... In particular, focusing on directing the implementation of resolutions to ensure the principle of unity "doing it well".

As a district with a majority of ethnic minorities living, with the characteristics of a purely agricultural district. The district has focused on developing commodity agriculture associated with agricultural tourism, identifying the main trees and animals of the district as: Pear, Plum, Medicinal herbs and 3 animals: Buffalo, cow, black pig .

In addition , the government has done a good job of propaganda and mobilization to change the mindset of agricultural production from self-sufficiency to the mindset of commodity agricultural economy with high economic value, diversified according to the value chain in accordance with market requirements. Putting into trial cultivation a number of valuable production models such as: Model of shallots, ginger, temperate fruit trees, medicinal plants, etc. Supporting machinery, equipment, livestock breeds, fruit tree breeds, building advanced production development models with high economic efficiency

Implementing many solutions to maintain and create new jobs for workers, helping workers increase their income and improve their quality of life. Thanks to that, the poverty rate in the district has decreased sharply over the years, the average annual poverty reduction rate according to the poverty standard for the period 2016-2020, reaching over 8%/year; the number of communes that have escaped from extreme difficulties is 5/10 communes.

PV: What difficulties and challenges did Simacai District encounter in the work of reducing poverty, sir?

Mr. Ha Duc Minh: Besides the achieved results, Simacai district still faces many difficulties and challenges in poverty reduction work, namely:

Due to the mountainous terrain, being isolated, difficult transportation, and unpredictable weather, it affects the lives and production of the people. As a poor district, the economy has a low starting point, low internal revenue, etc., so the district faces many difficulties in balancing resources to carry out socio-economic development tasks and sustainable poverty reduction.

Thanks to converting crops to adapt to climate change, people in Simacai district, Lao Cai have gradually escaped poverty.

As a purely agricultural district, however, agricultural land is mainly hilly land with high slopes and no proactive source of irrigation water, so it is difficult to intensify cultivation, increase the land use coefficient, leading to fragmented and small-scale production. The intellectual level of the people is uneven, the application of scientific and technological advances in agricultural production is limited. Most of the local labor force has not been trained, does not have degrees or certificates (accounting for over 80%). Therefore, the opportunity for this group of laborers to have a job in the labor market will become more difficult, significantly affecting the income and life of the people.

Investment resources for agricultural development are still limited, there is a lack of processing facilities and linkages between production and consumption of agricultural products of the people, and has not created production motivation among the people.

The results of poverty reduction in the period 2015-2020 are very positive, but not really sustainable, many households have escaped poverty but their income is close to the poverty line, when facing incidents and risks of natural disasters, floods, droughts, epidemics, these households fall into near-poor and poor households with a very high rate. This is a big challenge for local authorities and Party committees.

Angelica sinensis, a medicinal herb used in economic development and sustainable poverty reduction, has just been put into experimental cultivation in Simacai district.

The economic structure of the district has shifted slowly, people's income still mainly depends on income from agricultural and forestry products; the rate of multidimensional poor and near-poor households in the district is high, accounting for 66.7% (the results of the 2022 survey of poor households accounted for 48.1%, near-poor households accounted for 18.6%) .

PV: In the coming time, what plans does Si Ma Cai have to make poverty reduction work practical and sustainable?

Mr. Ha Duc Minh: In the coming time, Simacai district is determined to create a stronger change in the material and spiritual life of the people so that poverty reduction can become practical and sustainable. Accordingly, the district will focus on implementing a key task well:

Strengthen the role and responsibility of Party committees at all levels, local authorities, the social community and the poor and poor households themselves. Synchronously implement poverty reduction policies on the basis of exploiting potentials and advantages, developing local economic models, to solve employment, improve income and living standards of the people.

The appearance of poor district Simacai has gradually changed, people's lives are increasingly improved.

Local authorities closely follow the grassroots to have practical support and assistance measures. Focus on inspection and supervision of the implementation results of policies and programs on poverty reduction, ensuring that the poor receive the State's support policies correctly, sufficiently and promptly.

Promote economic restructuring, develop infrastructure, apply science and technology in production. Encourage the development of cooperatives, cooperative groups, etc. to create jobs for workers; prioritize support for production development for the poor in specific and practical forms such as: providing means of labor, supporting seedlings, providing guidance on cultivation and animal husbandry techniques, etc.

To achieve the goal of socio-economic development and sustainable poverty reduction, Si Ma Cai district hopes that the provincial departments and branches will continue to pay attention, help, and research to advise the province on specific mechanisms and policies for localities with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions and poor districts like Si Ma Cai.

Thank you very much!

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