Super thin rice paper is made at the Tân Nhiên Co. Ltd in Tây Ninh Province’s Hoà Thành Town. This kind of rice paper has been recognised as a four-star OCOP product. – VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tân

TÂY NINH – The southeastern province of Tây Ninh will spend nearly VNĐ45 billion (US$1.95 million) to support the development of occupations in rural areas from now to 2025.

Under the province People’s Committee’s plan of developing rural occupations in 2022-25, the province will implement 11 projects worth VNĐ14 billion ($610,000) to support the development of rural occupations this year, according to Nguyễn Đình Xuân, director of the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In 2023-25, the province will spend about VNĐ10 billion ($440,000) each year for the plan, he said.

The province will focus on preserving rural occupations and handicraft villages that make rice paper, bamboo weaving products, incenses, palm-leaf conical hats, and products of carpentering, blacksmith and iron–steel casting.

It will promote the development of rural occupations which are new and produce the province’s speciality products such as shrimp salt and red chilli salt.

The province is well known for making various kinds of speciality seasoned salt and rice paper. Rice paper is used mostly for making fresh and fried spring rolls and mixed rice paper salads.

Under the plan, the province will support vocational skills for about 4,800 labourers working in handicraft villages from now to 2025.

It will reorganise the operation of and production of rural occupations and handicraft villages towards developing the linkage among stakeholders in producing and consuming products.

The province will prioritise implementing various trade promotion activities through the programme to bring Vietnamese products to rural areas, fairs, sale points, e-commerce platforms, festivals in tourism zones, and trade centres.

It will boost the application of sciences and advanced techniques for rural occupations to reduce the use of labourers in some stages of the production process, such as stages that are toxic and have heavy work for workers.

Authorities will promote building brand names, labels and geographical indication for products of occupations in rural areas.

The province will develop more products into OCOP products under the national ‘One Commune – One Product programme combined with developing tourism services.

Input materials for some rural occupations have become scarcer. According to the department, their products have not been appropriately invested, causing a lack of quality, diversified designs and market competitiveness.

The number of trained young workers in rural areas has become lesser, and the preservation of rural occupations has become more complex and would be lost, it said. – VNS