Farmers’ Assessment on Implementation of Agricultural Support Policy for Poverty Reduction in Van Xuan and Ngoc Phung Communes, Thuong Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province

Abstract

     This research study reports assessments of 250 farm households in the two extremely difficult communes in Thuong Xuan district, Thanh Hoa province on implementation of agricultural support policy for poverty reduction. Findings indicate that the majority of farmers expressed positive viewpoints on beneficiary identification process, accessibility, supports received and appropriateness of agricultural supportive policies for poverty reduction. Farmers also perceived that supportive policies have strong impacts on poverty reduction. However, poverty rate in the communes remained high and reduced slowly. The situation was ascribed to improper beneficiary identification process, low accessibility of the poor, inappropriate planning, weak capacity for policy implementation and shortcomings in supportive policy design. The research also pointed out some measures to improve effectiveness and efficiencies of supportive policies for poverty reduction such as improvement of planning, renovating policy implementation process, propaganda of policies, enhancing implementers’ capacity, mobilizing resources and renovation of policy from free input subsidies to support a development of a full value change in agricultural production and setting out relief from supportive policies.