The Tich Dien (ploughing) festival officially opened on February 6 in Doi Son commune, Duy Tien district in the Red River Delta province of Ha Nam in the presence of Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan and representatives from many ministries and sectors.

This year’s festival is taking place in an inspired mood as Ha Nam has reaped remarkable achievements in its 2013 socio-economic development, especially in the movement of new-style rural area building.

Three years after implementing the programme, six communes in the province met criteria to become new urban areas. More than 1,700 kilometres of rural road, almost 1,300 classrooms and 160 community houses have been constructed, contributing to changing the face of the locality.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the provincial People’s Council Tran Xuan Loc stressed that the province always attaches importance to developing the agricultural sector.

He said advanced models of agricultural production have been applied in many localities in the province, bringing a stable income to local farmers, thus contributing to reducing the number of poor households.

In the time to come, the province will continue expanding the models to help its farmers improve their living conditions, Loc added.

The annual festival, originating from the Le dynasty in 987 when King Le Dai Hanh decided to plough in Doi Son commune to wish for bumper crops, has become a fine tradition at the beginning of the Lunar New Year.-VNA