Developing rural industries contributes significantly to building new rural areas.

(Chinhphu.vn) – After 6 years of implementing Decree 52/2018/ND-CP and nearly 3 years of implementing the program to preserve and develop craft villages, many positive results have been achieved, contributing practically to the program of building new rural areas and developing sustainable agriculture.

Co Tu artisans preserve traditional weaving craft - Photo: VGP/LH

On September 25, in Da Nang City, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment held a conference to review 6 years of implementing Decree No. 52/2018/ND-CP of the Government on rural industry development and 3 years of implementing the Program on preserving and developing craft villages according to Decision No. 801/QD-TTg dated July 7, 2022 of the Prime Minister on the Program on preserving and developing Vietnamese craft villages for the period 2021-2030.

The report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment said that after 6 years of implementing Decree 52 and nearly 3 years of implementing the program of preserving and developing craft villages, many positive results have been achieved, contributing practically to the program of building new rural areas and developing sustainable agriculture .

Total revenue from rural industry activities reached VND 376,697 billion, an increase of VND 200,442 billion compared to 2019. The whole country has restored and preserved 63 traditional occupations and 81 craft villages at risk of extinction.

Currently, the country has 263 traditional occupations, 1,975 craft villages and recognized traditional craft villages (including 1,308 craft villages and 667 traditional villages). The labor force in rural occupations reached more than 2.1 million people, an increase of 789,000 workers compared to 2019. The average income reached 4-5 million VND/person/month. Notably, the handicraft group accounts for 35% of annual export turnover, while opening up opportunities to develop experiential tourism , promote products and craft village culture.

In addition, some specific results are also worth noting: 46/63 provinces and cities have issued policies to encourage the development of rural industries; many craft village models associated with OCOP and community tourism have been effectively implemented in localities. More than 300 craft villages have been supported to promote trade, develop brands, and participate in domestic and foreign fairs. About 27,000 people have been trained to improve their skills and production management, including many classes specifically for cooperative staff and artisans.

Some localities have initially implemented the digitalization of craft village data, traced the origin of products and applied new technologies to production such as clean air kilns, cold drying, and centralized environmental treatment. This is a premise for comprehensive digital transformation in rural industry development.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung speaks at the conference - Photo: VGP/LH

Making craft villages become cultural and economic pillars

At the conference, in addition to positive results, delegates said that there were still shortcomings such as: lack of concentrated raw material sources; criteria and procedures for recognizing craft villages were not uniform; support policies for artisans were not strong enough to encourage technological innovation and digital transformation. Many management, vocational training and teaching models were still fragmented and lacked chain linkages.

Some provisions in Decree 52 are not suitable for new realities, especially in terms of infrastructure development, digital databases, digital maps, green credit and sustainable craft village criteria. In addition, investment is still scattered; brand building activities are not synchronized; trade promotion and international integration are still limited, not fully exploiting the potential.

The Department of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development said that it will advise the Government to amend Decree 52, classify occupational groups and have specific policies for each group. One of the focuses is to build raw material areas directly connected to craft villages, provide incentives for artisans and skilled workers, and promote domestic and foreign trade. Digital transformation solutions are also emphasized: Digitizing data on occupations and craft villages to connect domestic and international markets; supporting production to meet strict standards on quality, traceability, especially green and clean raw materials for potential markets such as Europe and America.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Vo Van Hung affirmed that rural industries and traditional craft villages not only bring economic value but also preserve the cultural identity and soul of the nation. In order to make craft villages become a cultural and economic pillar in the sustainable rural development strategy, it is necessary to soon complete the institution and amend Decree 52 in the spirit of "greener, more digital, reaching further".

The Deputy Minister proposed standardizing the process of recognizing craft villages, linking development criteria with economic, environmental, cultural and tourism requirements; building raw material areas in an organic and circular direction; enhancing promotion, market connection, and enhancing product value. At the same time, it is necessary to promote digital transformation, develop human resources, honor and have policies to treat artisans and nurture the next generation.

Liu Xiang

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/phat-trien-nganh-nghe-nong-thon-gop-phan-quan-trong-vao-xay-dung-nong-thon-moi-102250925133901028.htm