After five years implementing Resolution N°26-NQ/TU on agriculture, farmers and rural areas, Hanoi has brought into full play its strength and developed many creative models of agricultural production that help create a new appearance for the rural areas in the capital.

Over the last five years, Hanoi has attained great achievements in the field of agriculture and rural development. In 2012, the total production value of agriculture, forestry and aquatic products reached over 37 trillion VND (1.74 billion USD) in 2012, an increase of 84.6 percent over 2008.

The agricultural structure in Hanoi has shifted to a positive direction. Many programmes and projects on agricultural production have been implemented effectively and many high-value production areas expanded and established.

The city has established 34 areas for growing high-quality rice in 11 districts with a total area of 10,670ha, provided technical training for 71,048 households and created a close link among managers, scientists, enterprises and farmers. Apart from the field of farming, many programmes on animal husbandry have been implemented on a large scale outside the residential areas.

Regarding new rural construction, municipal authorities have approved a master plan and a project on new rural area construction of 19 districts and communes. Also, 401 communes approved the project on new rural planning.

The work of restructuring agricultural land which was a breakthrough in new rural area construction in 2012 has reached nearly 200 percent as planned. Hanoi restructured 35,178ha of agricultural land, accounting for 45.3 percent of the total area of farm land which will be restructured, and 18.7 percent of the total area of farm land.

The living standards of farmers in Hanoi have gradually improved with per capital income in the rural area increasing from 8.2 million VND/year in 2008 to 21.36 million VND/year in 2012.

Most households have built solid houses and there are no longer any dilapidated houses in rural areas in Hanoi. The rate of poor households has been reduced about 1.5 percent/year and now the poverty rate in the rural areas is only 5.1 percent, a decrease of 7 percent from 2009.

After expanding the administrative boundary in August 2008, Hanoi has 19 districts and towns with 401 communes. The rural area now accounts for 84.9 percent of the area of natural land and 63.1 percent of the labour force, playing an important role for the sustainable development of the capital. Hanoi has set a target of having 40 percent of the total number of communes reaching the new rural area criteria by 2015.

At a recent workshop to sum up the five years of implementation of Resolution N°26-NQ/TU, Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Communist Party Committee Nguyen Cong Soai announced Hanoi’s achievements and highly appreciated contributions by the collectives, families and private businesses to the cause of new rural construction.

He said he hoped that Hanoi would continue promoting the work of popularising and enhancing the awareness of both officials and people on implementing Resolution No.26 in the future. T he city should focus on restructuring farm land, applying mechanisation to production, providing jobs and increasing income for the locals to create a new outlook for rural areas in Hanoi and make it worthy to be the leading locality in the whole country in the cause of new rural area construction with 19 communes basically reaching all the 19 criteria.-VNA