SRD's Participatory Land Use and Management (PLUM) project, established in 2010, mainstreams the value chain approach to ensure sustainable livelihoods and help reduce poverty. Value chains are one of SRD's cross cutting themes, aiming to increase local people's empowerment in the process of developing and selling their products.
In March 2010, SRD staff conducted value chain research in raising chickens to examine strengths and weakness of different actors within the chicken value chain. Following recommendations from this research, Bao Thanh commune, one of the targeted communes of the project, has re-structured their Farmer Interest Groups (FIG) in Village one and five of this commune. Each member of the FIGs have been assigned clear responsibilities; such as monitoring the project and accessing market information.
Recently, SRD staff visited the project for a regular monitoring trip, and was pleased to see the positive progress of these groups. The process of epidemic disease prevention has been strictly followed by all FIG members. The members collaboratively purchase chicken and vaccines. Group members take turns to vaccine all group members' chicks on a rotating basis. Group leaders visit regularly to monitor other members to ensure they are following the group's regulations. After providing technical training, in September 2011 the PLUM project supported 40 households in the FIGs 50% of the cost of purchasing chicks.
Local woman in Phu Tho province takes care of the new chicks
During their recent monitoring trip, SRD staff also visited households who received a loan from the project. We were very glad to see this loan can successfully help increase household income. For example, Mr. Tuan's family has two school age children. Their main livelihood is agricultural production but they don't own farm land as they have migrated from other areas. Therefore, they have faced many difficulties in running their family and looking after their children. In last three months, they received a loan from the project to buy a tea dryer. This machine can help his family earn from 2-3 million VND per month.
Although the PLUM project is still in its early stages, positive impacts from the project are already being felt by the local people in Phu Tho province, and they are enthusiastic to continue with the value chains approach, and to continue strengthening their independent livelihoods.
-SRD-
Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)
No.31, Alley 19 Kim Dong Street, Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi
Phone: +84 24 3943 6676/78 | Fax: +84 24 3943 6449
