(VOVworld) – Nga Bay town is the first new-style rural area in Hau Giang province. It has become a role model in new rural development in the Mekong Delta.

Nga Bay town received the certificate of new-style rural area in late 2015. In an address, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the steering committee for new rural development Vu Van Ninh praised the achievements of Hau Giang province and Nga Bay over recent years: “Nga Bay town with a per capita income of roughly 2,000USD in 2015 was the first district-level locality in the Mekong Delta to be recognized as a new-style rural area. It is an honor for the Party committee, administration, and people of Hau Giang province. Nga Bay has contributed significantly to Vietnam’s new rural development.”

Over 5 years Nga Bay has invested approximately 40 million USD in new rural development, one third of which was state capital and the rest contributed by local businesses and residents. The money was used to build public facilities such as roads, power stations, clinics, and culture houses. Nguyen Lien Khoa, former vice-chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said: “Nga Bay has implemented coordinated measures in building new-style rural areas. Local authorities and residents have worked together and broad consensus has led to success.”

Nga Bay town has mechanized agricultural production and applied technological advances to increase productivity. It has zoned areas for specific crops in an attempt to develop local agricultural brands. A number of policies have been implemented to help local residents develop production and reduce poverty. Lu Van Mung of Dong An hamlet said: “Our current income is 30 times higher from growing rice. Our lives have improved and poverty no longer is a problem.”

Nguyen Thien Nhon, Party Secretary of Nga Bay town, said it’s even more difficult to keep up the development momentum: “We’ll continue to reform to improve a number of new rural development criteria to achieve sustainable growth. Prompt instructions will be given to achieve the set target.”

The town has been restructuring crops and livestock and has established cooperatives to create value chains of high-quality farm products.