The Ambassadors of Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland to Vietnam came to Quang Tri as part of a two-day official visit for firsthand information on the post-war situation in the province as well as review local development projects funded by the G4 countries. One of which is the Regional and Local Economic Development – East West Economic Corridor (RLED-EWEC) Project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
On May 10, 2019, Sa Ry High Quality Coffee Farmer Group welcomed the delegation comprised of Ambassadors Deborah Paul (Canada), Wendy Matthews (New Zealand), Grete Løchen (Norway), and Beatrice Maser Mallor (Switzerland), accompanied by MI Executive Director Dr. Watcharas Leelawath, EWEC Project Director Ms. Jutamas Thongcharoen, and staff members of the EWEC Vietnam Field Office.
Bannering dynamic collaboration, the farmer group impressed the delegation with its mixed ethnicities and strong community spirit. It consists of 57 members, of which 35 are Bru Van Kieu ethnic minority and account for 52.2% of poor households in the village. The group also prides itself for supporting four female-headed families and one disabled member. The Sa Ry group further narrated how the Project – through Business Direct Linkage and Quadripartite Model – has helped improve income and livelihood in Huong Phung commune, Huong Hoa district. Technical support from MI in applying these business models has enabled them to upgrade farming and harvesting practices as well as boost business transactions. In 2017 and 2018, for instance, Sa Ry group earned an extra income of VND 119,135,700 with competitive prices of coffee cherries coupled with lower fertilizer costs and preferential bank loans. The group also shared their success factors characterized by collective action for achieving results, close collaboration among stakeholders, and commitment to producing specialty coffee and quality products.
View more photos of the visit: http://tiny.cc/ctun6y
To date, the RLED-EWEC Project has improved the livelihood of smallholder farmers in the coffee sector in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam; the rice sector in Khammouane and Savannakhet Provinces, Lao PDR; and the maize sector in Kayin State, Myanmar.
