Among these, policy credit has become an important pillar, helping Khmer people in Vinh Long Province to develop their economy, rise out of poverty and improve their quality of life.
Vinh Long Province is home to 373,640 people from ethnic minority groups, accounting for 11.03% of the population, of whom more than 353,000 are Khmer, representing 10.42%. In recent years, the living standards of the Khmer community in Vinh Long have improved markedly, with the poverty rate falling to 1.6% and the near-poor rate to 3.2%. Compared with 2021, the proportion of poor households has fallen by 5.45% and near-poor households by 7.09%.
A “pillar” for economic development
Thanks to the timely disbursement of policy credit, many effective production models have been developed, becoming bright examples of the proper and effective use of concessional loans.
The model of Thach Vang in My Trung Hamlet, Tra On Commune, is a typical case. With a loan of 45 million VND (1,700 USD) from the Viet Nam Bank for Social Policies, he reclaimed unproductive garden land and invested in seedless lime cultivation. To date, with 420 lime trees more than four years old, the model has delivered stable yields, helping his family gradually increase income and stabilise their lives.
Thach Vang shared: “With the preferential loan support, my family boldly reclaimed inefficient land and intercropped coconut with lime. With more than 7,200 m² of farmland, I earn over 10 million VND (380 USD) per month. Thanks to this, our family is much better off and our life is becoming increasingly stable.”
Through policy credit loans, the family of Thach Thoi and the local community in Nhue Tu B Hamlet, Ham Giang Commune, have boldly shifted crop and livestock structures and improved environmental sanitation conditions. These practical solutions have helped raise incomes compared with traditional rice cultivation and have completely transformed the rural landscape.
Thach Thoi said enthusiastically: “My family received a production loan of 50 million VND (1,900 USD). From 5,000 m² of inefficient land, I boldly switched to growing vegetables and raising livestock. After more than a year of harvesting, our family’s finances have improved significantly. Growing vegetables brings profits many times higher than growing rice. In addition to support for housing and residential land, we Khmer people always receive close attention from the local authorities.”
Vice Chairman of the Ham Giang Commune People’s Committee Nguyen Quoc Thanh said: “Ham Giang is one of the communes with a large Khmer population in Vinh Long Province, accounting for nearly 90% of the commune’s population. The Party and the State have issued many policies on ethnic and religious development, providing timely and well-targeted support for residential land, housing, production land, domestic water supply and vocational transition.
In 2025 alone, 113 disadvantaged Khmer households benefited, with total funding of more than 3 billion VND (114,200 USD). Many households have improved their housing conditions and gained access to production land and stable clean water sources. Currently, 129 Khmer workers are working overseas on fixed-term contracts, contributing to higher incomes and improved living standards.”
Reaching the global stage
Thach Thi Chal Thi, a resident of Tieu Can Commune, Vinh Long Province, is the founder of Tra Vinh Farm Co., Ltd. (Sokfarm). She said the company received a bank loan of 800 million VND (30,400 USD) at a very preferential interest rate, which helped cover initial equipment purchases and workers’ wages. From the profits generated, the company was able to fully repay the loan. To date, Sokfarm has become a pioneering enterprise in the exploitation and processing of organic coconut blossom nectar in Viet Nam, with products achieving international certification and being exported to the US, the European Union (EU), Japan and many other countries.
She added that Sokfarm is currently cooperating with 48 farming households in Tra Vinh (formerly) in coconut blossom nectar collection, while creating stable jobs for 60 local workers, 70% of whom are Khmer women. The company aims, by 2030, to expand its organic raw material area to 400 ha, increase the number of partner farming households to 800 and gradually become a leading enterprise in Asia in the field of organic coconut blossom nectar.
To date, total outstanding policy credit for ethnic minorities in Vinh Long has reached 77.75 billion VND (2.99 million USD), with 1,680 borrowers currently accessing loans. Loan disbursement since the beginning of the year has totalled 32.34 billion VND (about 1.24 million USD), enabling 1,426 ethnic minority households to access preferential credit.
Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Bank for Social Policies, Vinh Long Branch Vo Thanh Thuy said: “In the coming period, we will continue to strengthen communication on policy credit programmes for ethnic minority households. We will closely coordinate with local authorities and relevant agencies to regularly review and ensure that all eligible beneficiaries with genuine needs can access loans. At the same time, we will enhance coordination to promote the role of mass organisations in transferring scientific and technical knowledge and providing guidance on production and business methods, in order to maximise the effectiveness of policy credit.”
