Awareness and acquisition of scientific and technological knowledge still limited

There are only 536 households of Lo Lo ethnic group in Cao Bang province, with a total of 2,773 people living mainly in 9 hamlets in 4 communes in extremely difficult areas of the two districts of Bao Lam and Bao Lac, which are highland and border districts located in the west of Cao Bang province.

Previously, they lived mainly by farming. The Lo Lo ethnic group's educational level is still low, the illiteracy rate is high, and there are many outdated customs and practices. The economy is mainly agricultural production (cultivation and animal husbandry) with fragmented and self-sufficient production. The application of science and technology to production has not been focused, resulted in low productivity. They mainly raise buffaloes and cows for ploughing power and raising poultry to serve daily needs, so the Lo Lo people's life is still difficult.

Thanks to the Party and State’s policies, many programs and projects have been implemented in ethnic minority areas with very few people. However, due to historical factors and natural conditions, the material and spiritual life of the Lo Lo ethnic group still faces many difficulties.

These social problems arise in the process of development, outdated customs, degeneration of popular culture, traditional languages and cultures are gradually disappearing... are urgent issues for ethnic groups with a very small population today.

The Lo Lo ethnic group in Cao Bang, particularly, face many difficulties, including: complex terrain conditions, steep slopes, non-concentrated farming areas, small production zoning, many households still lack production land; the rate of poor households and near-poor households is high; infrastructure still has many weaknesses, especially inter-commune and inter-village roads, which causes difficulty in traveling and transporting goods; the education is low, the level of awareness as well as the absorption of scientific and technological knowledge is still limited; people's farming and production practices are mainly agricultural and self-sufficient; people do not know how to apply science and technology to production, structural transformation of crops and livestock...

536 Lo Lo households to be listed as subjects to assistance under Decision 2086/QD-TTg

To overcome these difficulties and limitations, Cao Bang province will help people improve their awareness about the role of science and technology, promoting the application of scientific and technological advances in production to raise living standards for people, contributing to socio-economic development and sustainable poverty reduction; transferring technical advances in crops and livestock, especially new scientific and technological advances, suitable to local characteristics; regularly informing locals about effective science and technology application models in economic development so that they can learn from experience and follow.

Since the Provincial Ethnic Committee compiled the list of 536 Lo Lo households who are subjects for assistance under Decision 2086/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on the approval of the project to support socio-economic development of ethnic minorities with a very small population in the period 2016-2025, the lives of Lo Lo people have changed clearly.

With centrally allocated capital, the Provincial Ethnic Committee has invested in production development in 11 hamlets, particularly Khau Ca hamlet (Hong Tri commune), Khuoi Khon village (Kim Cuc commune, Bao Lac district) and Ca Dong hamlet (Duc Hanh commune, Bao Lam district). Each hamlet received 500 million VND from the state to invest in planting star anise and essential oil plants, and are provided with equipment to preserve traditional culture.

Famous for brocade weaving, in 2019, Khuoi Khon hamlet in Kim Cuc commune received cotton fiber from the state to develop weaving profession. Since then, the lives of the Lo Lo households here have changed day by day. Many tourists come to experience traditional brocade weaving and the cultural identity of the Lo Lo people, making Khuoi Khon one of the province's famous community tourism destinations.

In Ca Dong hamlet, Duc Hanh commune, through surveys, the authorities helped the Lo Lo people to plant sa moc and anise trees. Currently, sa moc and anise trees have been harvested. People's lives are changing in a positive direction.

Local people mobilized to apply scientific and technological advances

In addition, Cao Bang focuses on mobilizing people to apply scientific and technological advances to build economic development models with high value, which employ local advantages, consistent with living and production habits, and suitable for the region towards the goal of sustainable development; promoting local potentials and strengths to produce specific products along the value chain to improve productivity, quality and product competition in the market; promoting the connection between 4 parties: the State, scientists, farmers and businesses in the stages of research - transfer, application - production and marketing of products, gradually forming a local market for technology and services;

Taking the cultural identity, community knowledge, and traditions of ethnic minorities as the foundation; taking socio-economic development, environment and ensuring national defense and security as goals; science and technology is the solution. Therefore, the development and application of scientific and technological advances in production plays a very important role in improving the living standards of ethnic minority areas, contributing to promoting social-economic development, gradually reducing poverty in a sustainable manner.