Dong Nai province leads in rural area building programme

Dong Nai (VNA) – Long Thanh and Nhon Trach have become the latest new-style rural districts of the southern province of Dong Nai, raising the number of districts in the province attaining the title to five.

With that outcome, Dong Nai is currently taking the lead nationwide in carrying out the national target programme on building new-style rural areas.

The programme was initiated by the Government in 2010 with a view to boosting rural regions. It sets 19 criteria covering infrastructure, production, living standards, income and culture.

Under a decision issued by the Prime Minister in early April, a district must have all communes meeting all of the criteria to be designated as a new-style rural district. Previously, those with at least 75 percent of the communes satisfying the 19 criteria were eligible.

The Prime Minister’s decision recognising Long Thanh and Nhon Trach as new-style rural areas was announced on June 8.

At the presentation, Vice Chairman of the Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee Vo Van Chanh said the two districts focused on communications right from the beginning to win local residents’ support for the programme.

Over the last five years, Long Thanh raised more than 9 trillion VND (403.1 million USD) for new-style countryside building efforts, about 78 percent of the sum was from social sources. Meanwhile, social sources contributed 77 percent to the 11 trillion VND (492.7 million USD) Nhon Trach mobilised for the work.

Long Thanh district has formed 22 concentrated agricultural production areas, covering more than 6,400ha of land that apply scientific and technological advances and follow VietGAP standards.

As a result, the production value on one hectare of crops or aquaculture has surpassed 120 million VND (nearly 5,400 USD) each year, rising by some 58 million VND (2,600 USD) from 2010. Annual per capita income shot up 206 percent from 2010 to about 41 million VND (over 1,800 USD), reducing the household poverty rate to 0.16 percent.

In Nhon Trach, agricultural production value has reached 115 million VND (over 5,100 USD) per hectare annually, even achieving 300 million – 1 billion VND (13,400 USD – 44,800 USD) in some hi-tech orchid and honeydew melon farms. The district is home to nine industrial parks with 382 investment projects that ensure jobs for over 80,000 people.

Local per capita income is 38.5 million VND (over 1,700 USD) a year, and the household poverty rate is 1.05 percent at present.

Dong Nai expects it will become a new-style rural province by 2020.-VNA