VietTrade supports poor craft families
By Van Nam - The Saigon Times Daily
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| Two young women are weaving handicraft products from sedge. The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency will co-ordinate with international organizations to help poor families in four northern provinces develop their craft industry - Photo: Kinh Luan |
HCMC – The Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VietTrade) is coordinating with international organizations on a project to improve production and trade for poor handicraft families in the northern provinces of Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho, according to VietTrade.
Vuong Dinh Ngan, vice head of VietTrade, told the Daily on Thursday that 
the three-year project would begin early this year with a budget of US$4.1 million.
The project’s budget was mostly sponsored by organizations of the United Nations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the International Labor Organization.
The project, called Green Production and Trade, will teach handicraft producers in the four provinces to improve production and trade to create more jobs with better income.
The project will train handicraft skills, develop sustainable materials, support new technologies for environmentally friendly production and help locals approach new export markets.
Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho are all provinces with potential for craft development such as rattan products, sedge handicrafts, silks, brocade weaving, lacquers and traditional paper products.
However, these provinces have not developed material sources for craft products.
According to the Vietnam Handicraft Exporters Association, the tendency for new designs of handicraft products since 2009 has been replaced by the trend to develop environmentally friendly products with higher quality.