An artisan in Long Cang mat weaving village in Long An Province’s Cần Giuộc District. — VNA/VNS Photo Bùi Giang

LONG AN — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Long An plans to offer financial support for developing handicraft villages and rural occupations.

It will provide up to 60 per cent of the cost, not exceeding VNĐ5 billion (US$220,000), of projects for building and improving infrastructure in handicraft villages.

Some of the villages also combine tourism, rural and preservation of culture through traditional occupations.

The province will subsidise 50 per cent of the cost of training human resources for rural occupations, providing a maximum of VNĐ500 million ($22,000).

The financial support is aimed at improving incomes, protecting the environment and developing local economies, according to the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Long An is among the delta provinces with the highest number of handicraft villages.

Its well-known ones include Bình An drum making village in Tân Trụ District, Long Cang mat weaving village in Cần Giuộc District, An Hiệp palm leaf conical hat making village in Đức Hoà District, and Tân Tây yellow ochna growing village in Thạnh Hoá District.

It has more than 30,000 establishments that are involved in around 40 rural occupations.

In recent years the province has had a number of policies to help individuals, businesses, co-operatives, and companies get their products recognised as OCOP products under the national ‘One Commune – One  Product  programme.

It had 31 OCOP products at the end of last year.

It plans to get another 44 OCOP products recognised this year.

It will also subsidise production establishments’ cost of participating in OCOP fairs within and outside the province to promote their products. — VNS