The southern province of Dong Nai has recognised another 11 communes as new-style rural areas, reported a local meeting on June 22.

The communes are in Nhon Trach, Long Thanh, Thong Nhat, Cam My and Vinh Cuu districts.

Since the new rural construction campaign began five years ago, 63 of Dong Nai’s 171 communes have met countryside development criteria.

In early 2015, Xuan Loc district and Long Khanh township were declared the first new rural areas of the country.

For the rest of this year, Dong Nai strives to add 25 communes to the list, raising the number of new developed communes to 88, or 65 percent of the total.

Later this year, Thong Nhat, Long Thanh and Nhon Trach will become new rural districts towards transforming Dong Nai into a new rural province by 2020.

To that end, the province will accelerate agriculture restructuring, building a farm produce consumption chain and generating jobs.

The National Target Programme on New Rural Development, launched in 2010, sets 19 criteria for new rural areas covering infrastructure, production, living standards, income and culture, among others. A district must have at least 75 percent of its communes meeting all the 19 criteria in order to receive the title of new rural district.-VNA