Many craft villages closed

The 70 year old couple of Nguyen Van Thanh in Cam Trung village, Xuan Cam commune (Hiep Hoa district) carefully make bamboo baskets from each lath everyday. He said he has attached to the career for more than 50 years. Now he and his wife only can make only 10 pairs of bamboo baskets per week and none of their childs follow the traditional craft.

Couple of Nguyen Van Thanh maintain bamboo basket weaving craft.

Vice Head of Xuan Cam communal People’s Committee Nguyen Quang Liem said the commune has two recognized bamboo rattan weaving craft villages that are Cam Trung and Cam Bao with nearly 600 producing households to make baskets then sell nationwide. Since 2014, both villages have encountered a lot of difficulties so many famillies quitted the careers.

Hiep Hoa district also had Cam Trang bamboo rattan weaving craft village, Trung Hung rope making craft village in Mai Trung commune and Mai Thuong silkworm farming craft village in Mai Dinh commune which faced numerous difficulties due to lack of material, man power and output so they quitted the job.

So the provincial People’s Committee decided to revoke the Recognition certificates of craft village of these villages together with seven others in Yen The district.

Supporting the development of craft villages

Bac Giang province now has 27 craft villages mostly operating in four major careers, including processing and preserving agro-forestry and fishery products; manufacturing wood furniture, weaving bamboo rattan products, producing garment product…; growing and trading bontanical tree; providing service for rural production and life.

14 out of 27 craft villages maintain strong development. However the numbers of participating households tend to reduce while most of the direct labour is old people, making it hard to preserve the craft village.

According to the provincial Division of Agriculture Development, major reason leading to the hardness in production and business of craft villages or the revoke of their Certificate was the strong development of industrial parks and clusters together with higher and more stable income that lure more young and untrained labours.

Besides, the craft villages are scattered with small scale at family level so there is shortage of production linkage, big investment and man power. The handicraft products have low added value. Without the trademark, the local craftmen fear to invest in developing the production. The quality and appearance of handicarft product cannot compete with that of the same type.

In July 2022, the Prime Minister issued Decision No.801/QD-TTg approving for the Programme to preserve and develop Vietnamese craft villages in 2021 – 2030 (Decision) period so as to conserve and promote the values and traditional culture identities of the craft village in Vietnam.

To implement the Decision and continue promoting the craft villages in Bac Giang province, Vice Head of the provincial Division of Agriculture Development Nguyen Thai Truong said the agriculture sector worked out several solutions such as focusing on handicraft product communication, introduction and trade promotion; providing training course for the secretary and leaders at the village and facilities about environmental protection; effectively launching “One Commune One Product Programme in Bac Giang province in 2018 – 2020 period with orientation till 2030” ; prioritizing to select product of traditional craft villages to develop the trademark.

Besides, the sector assists to organize vocational training and passing courses to enhance the skill for labours at the craft villages; prioritize to use land fund to build craft village industrial cluster; construct site to showcase products;

Also, the provincial People’s Committee was suggested to arrange preferential capital loan as the kick for craft villages to apply advanced science and technology into improving the product quality and value.

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