Country: Vietnam
Project location within country: Province of Tra Vinh
Duration: September 2005 - September 2009
Budget: Approximate value of services: $2.85 million
Project status: Complete
Project description
A consortium of three institutions including the lead organization Saskatchewan Polytechnic and its partners, Agriteam and MI, were contracted by the Canadian International Development Agency to provide technical assistance at the request of the project coordination unit under the auspices of the Tra Vinh People’s Committee. The focus of the project was to increase income-earning opportunities and on- farm and off-farm employment for the poor. It was designed to increase productivity and improve food security through activities that supported crop diversification, the intensification of agriculture and the development of rural enterprises and producer organizations. Community development initiatives to respond to household and community needs were also undertaken to promote increased rural economic development opportunities. Small-scale infrastructure support also contributed to creating an enabling environment for sustainable rural economic development.
Goal
To establish sustainable and productive agricultural and rural economic development practices and structures in order to strengthen the economy and decrease rural poverty in Tra Vinh Province.
Partners
Funding agency: Canadian International Development Agency
Lead Firm: Saskatchewan Polytechnic (formally SIAST)
Client: Tra Vinh People’s Committee (TVPC), Project Coordination Unit (GoVN)
Associated firms: Agriteam, Marine Institute
Results
The project's activities concentrated on 20 communes in seven districts and one town in Tra Vinh, identified as initial priority target areas in terms of poverty levels, high percentages of Khmer population and their potential for rural economic development. Highly participatory in nature, the project was implemented by various provincial government departments in Tra Vinh under the leadership of the People’s Committee of Tra Vinh province.
Central to the success of the project was the development of successful strategies to improve the effectiveness of extension services. The establishment of relevant and proactive extension services supported the free and efficient exchange of information between users and researchers, and adequate extension program offerings designed to increase the capabilities of farmers to learn and apply new technologies in order to improve production. Capacity building activities enhanced the capability of current extension providers to supply services to their clients and at the same time strengthened the capacity of local institutions by developing new types of training for upgrading and retraining of human resources.
Contact us
Angela Wojcichowsky, Director, International Partnerships & ProjectsSaskatchewan Polytechnic, Saskatoon Campus, 20th St.
200 – 226 – 20th Street East | PO Box 1520,
Saskatoon SK S7K 0R6 Canada
+1-306-659-6915
angela.wojcichowsky@saskpolytech.ca