Project develops sustainable livelihood sources for Dong Thap farmers

The People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta province has approved the budget of over VND664 billion (US$23.4 million) for this project, which includes more than VND570 billion (US$25.2 million) in ODA loans. The rest will be covered by the province’s budget and private sources.

The scheme will be implemented from 2017 to 2020, targeting 22,313ha of land in the districts of Hong Ngu, Tam Nong and Thanh Binh and Hong Ngu township. It is set to benefit 11,400 local households.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Hung said under the plan, three livelihood models based on combination of rice cultivation and fish or shrimp raising will be introduced to local farmers.

While dykes and culverts will be upgraded or built, communication activities will be stepped up to encourage farmers to change their agricultural practices. It will also establish cooperatives and give farmers training in farming and product preservation techniques.

The project in Dong Thap Muoi is a component of the Mekong Delta Integrated Climate Resilience and Sustainable Livelihoods project funded by the World Bank, which aims to enhance tools for climate-smart planning and improve climate resilience of land and water management practices in selected provinces in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta.