Intensifying national program for new rural area development

The appearance of rural areas has changed considerably

Quantitative and qualitative changes

As of June 2019, more than 4,900 communes (50.01 percent of the country’s total) met new rural area standards. Communes and districts in the southern provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Duong, the northern province of Nam Dinh, and the southern central coastal city of Da Nang all met new rural area standards.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said the face of rural areas has changed considerably and the average per capita income tripled between 2010 and 2018. The agricultural sector has been growing, while farm produce, forest product and seafood exports hit US$40.02 billion in 2018, and rural industry and services are developing rapidly.

The number of agricultural products yielding export revenue of more than US$1 billion each has increased from five in 2008 to 10. Vietnam ranked 15th worldwide and second in Southeast Asia in terms of farm produce exports, and has exported agricultural products to more than 180 countries and territories.

Development gap between regions

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said the development gap between regions remain large. The role of farmers and rural community has not been enhanced, while agricultural development is still unsustainable, and rural infrastructure, industry and services remain poor, failing to meet actual development demands of a modern agricultural sector, Nam said. Most localities were focusing on developing infrastructure, and haven’t paid due heed to production and trade development and people’s lives improvement.

According to a 2019 survey by the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Development (IPSARD), only 68.1 percent of the surveyed rural households knew they have the right to comment on new rural area development plans and projects in their localities, 55 percent of them said they have the right to comment on project selection, and 66.9 percent knew they have the right to monitor project implementation.

Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong said new rural area development must be associated with agricultural restructuring, environmental protection and bringing into play the community’s resources. It is necessary to facilitate comprehensive growth, increase income and ensure food security for the poor.