Chieng Xom communal authorities have devised specific policies for each year in order to best implement the national new rural development program. Every local household has been given timely instruction and support, and people have been encouraged to donate their land and labor for roads connecting local hamlets to facilitate travel and transport of local agricultural products. Developing community tourism has generated more jobs. Quang Van Phong is head of Hum hamlet in Son La city: "Travel is much easier now in Hum hamlet thanks to newly paved roads. The hamlet now focuses on developing household economies by expanding the number of pigs, cows, chickens, and fish ponds, and by restructuring crops. Local living conditions have improved significantly."

15% of Chieng Xom commune’s 6200 ha are reserved for agriculture. To restructure the local economy, the communal authorities have helped the Ha Duy Thuong cooperative shift from growing rice to growing vegetables and flowers in the hamlets of Tong, Hum, Panh, and Ai, creating jobs for more than 200 people with an average salary of about 200 USD a month. Some households have shifted to raising fish in addition to growing rice. Do Duy Thuong is head of Ha Duy Thuong Cooperative:"As a member of the provincial Cooperative Alliance, I proposed that the communal People’s Committee allow farmers to change their crops, for example, to plant flowers instead of rice. Son La’s weather is ideal for horticulture, especially roses. Local horticulture has developed quite strongly and we are receiving strong support from the local farmers. Our cooperative supplied all the flowers for the city’s recent flower festival."

A fish raising model in Son La province

In 2014, Chieng Xom completed 15 of the program’s 19 criteria. Lu Van Thien is chairman of the Chieng Xom communal People’s Committee: "We have done our best to ensure the highest consensus between the local government and people in implementing the national new rural development program to achieve the best possible outcomes. In addition, several measures have been implemented to raise public awareness of the issues, develop cooperative models and alternative trades, and attract investment for agriculture. Attention has also been given to agricultural extension and high-tech transfer activities to boost agricultural production and post-production manufacturing."