At the conference. (Photo: nhandan.com.vn) 

Director of the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development Le Duc Thinh said that more than 817,000 production establishments have participated in rural trades as of 2020, an increase of 119,000 compared to the previous three years.

The total number of workers in this area has climbed to more than 2.3 million, 300,000 more than the 2017 figure (up 15%), he said.

Thinh stated that the total revenue from activities of rural trades has reached VND236.2 trillion (USD10.14 billion), up 20.5% or VND40 trillion compared to 2017, with the industries of pottery, rattan, glass, textile, fibre, embroidery, knitting, small-scale mechanics, and sculpture registering the highest value.

In the time ahead, the MARD will continue to review and evaluate the reality of rural trades and craft villages to complete the development of a project on the conservation and development of craft villages in the 2021-2025 period and submit it to the Prime Minister for approval.

According to the ministry, localities need to review land and shift crops to develop stable concentrated material areas, while accelerating the application of science and technology in production to improve productivity, quality and diversification.

In addition, trade promotion should be promoted for products of rural industries and craft villages under the national trade promotion program, the trade-tourism promotion programs of localities and the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program./.

BTA