VietNamNet Bridge – More than 10,000 breeding cows will be donated to thousands of needy farmers in 28 poor and border districts during 2013-14.

A farmer feeds cows in Son La Province's Yen Chau District. Over 10,000 breeding cows will be donated to thousands of farmers in 28 poor border districts during 2013-14 under a "Cow Bank" project.

The move is part of the project "Cow Bank" initiated by Viet Nam's Red Cross, Viet Nam Television and the Border Guards High Command, said Nguyen Hai Duong, President of Viet Nam's Red Cross, at an event broadcast live on Saturday to publicise the project.

President Truong Tan Sang, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh and representatives from numerous state agencies and international organisations also attended the event.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Van Ninh underlined that the programme would help many households to escape from poverty and attain a higher standard of living.

More border communes would provide extra resources to support their local farmers, which helps to safeguard the country's border areas, he said.

"The cow bank is symbolic as it represents a bank that is socially known and supports the disadvantaged."

Ninh added that the Party and the State had always paid attention to people who are in difficult circumstances and live in border or island areas.

Reducing poverty sustainably and building new rural models were a strategic goal and a priority during the country's socio-economic development, he said.

He said he hoped that the programme would become popular across the country and help disadvantaged people in border and up-land areas.

Organisations, businesses, groups and individuals, both at home and abroad were being encouraged to support the programme which would help to eradicate hunger, reduce poverty and create new rural models, he said

Duong said that so far, more than 200 organisations and individuals had contributed VND70 billion (US$3.3 million), equivalent to 7,000 beasts, to buy the cows in the last three months.

The programme was initiated in 2010 and has handed over nearly 7,100 cows to poor households in 111 districts. So far, the cows have produced 1,285 calves which have also been donated to other disadvantaged households.

Source: VNS