Phu Tho Province: Policy helps craft village development

Carpentry villages are major job providers in Phu Tho Province

The province’s Tam Nong District has six craft villages, including four red paint production villages, one carpentry and one weaving village. In recent years, district craft villages have been growing rapidly, earning annual revenues of about VND100 billion.

The Minh Duc carpentry village in the district’s Thanh Uyen Commune, for example, now has 180 household-scale production facilities with about 400 employees and annual revenues of more than VND10 billion. Quality products of Minh Duc are sold in provinces and cities nationwide. Meanwhile, the Hien Quang weaving village is providing jobs for thousands of people, including seasonal workers. Village businesses have earned annual revenues of about VND10 billion. The value added of Hien Quang products has increased.

Not only craft villages in Tam Nong District but also those in many other provincial localities have changed significantly thanks to appropriate policies adopted by the province in recent years. Nguyen Ngoc Anh, Deputy Director of the Phu Tho Province Department of Industry and Trade, said the province attaches great importance to the preservation and development of craft villages. Phu Tho prepared and approved a master plan for rural craft village development from 2011-2015. The provincial people’s committee approved a 2016-2020 rural craft village development plan, under which Phu Tho will spend about VND3.7 billion each year to assist producers and businesses in technology improvement, market development, branding, vocational training, and participation in trade promotion activities.

The plan has greatly changed craft villages in the province. There are 73 craft villages in Phu Tho, mainly accommodating such industries as food, farm produce and forest product processing, fine art and handicrafts, and construction material production. The villages mainly use local raw materials. Their product quality has improved to meet demand and requirements of domestic customers and importers.

Providing a growing number of jobs, craft villages in the province are contributing to villagers’ incomes and minimizing social evils.

The provincial Department of Industry and Trade leadership said a number of craft villages in Phu Tho have been growing well thanks to advanced technology investment and application of connectivity chain models. The province will continue to find management solutions and develop production-trade connection chains for craft villages, build industry and trade sector databases and e-commerce exchanges, sign cooperation agreements with neighboring provinces and cities, and make the most of provincial resources to develop vocational training, branding and trade promotion.