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| 86% of local households still have from 2 to 4 rice fields. |
(VOVworld) – The Thai Binh province, known as Vietnam’s northern granary, has scored some significant achievements in new rural development through a program that was piloted in 8 communes for 3 years and has been implemented throughout the province for a year. Almost all phases of agricultural production have been mechanized resulting in measurable economic efficiencies. But implementation has faced a shortage of capital, depleted soil, and inconsistent infrastructure. VOV reporter Lan Anh examines the pilot commune of Quynh Minh to see how it has developed its new rural areas.
For Nguyen Van Dong and many other villagers of Quynh Minh commune, improving the local irrigation system, restructuring the crops, and establishing specialized crop growing areas has increased incomes. Thanks to regular agricultural training courses, and consulting, Dong’s crops and breeding pigs now earn his family more than 3,800 USD per year. He comments ‘Since the new rural development program was started here, our living standards has changed a lot. My family has become better-off as a result of raising pigs and cultivating more than one hectare of rice. The local cooperative has helped us a great deal in obtaining new rice varieties, applying new technologies, and harvesting our products. The new rural development program has helped us increase our income and build embankments along local ditches’.
Like Mr. Dong, Nguyen Thi Luyen in Thuong Xa commune was able to escape from poverty after she was provided with new rice varieties, some breeding animals, and capital for production. Luyen says ‘My family has backed the local authorities’ policies such as donating land and workdays to build the village’s irrigation system, roads, and safe water system. We have voluntarily broken our fence to cede the land for the construction of rural roads. We find that any policy which benefits local people and changes the face of the village should be embraced by the locals’.
Despite receiving villager support during the 2 and a half years the new rural development program has been implemented in Quynh Minh commune, 10 goals remain unfulfilled. The per capita income of Quynh Minh’s people has only reached the district average and agricultural laborers still account for 40% of the total local workforce. Although the restructuring of farm land, a key task of the process of building new rural areas in Thai Binh, was completed in 4 months, large-scale agricultural production zones haven’t yet been set up. 86% of local households still have from 2 to 4 rice fields, hampering mechanization and use of advanced technologies. Pham Van Vi who is on the Cooperative’s Management Board says ‘With only 2 combine harvesters and 2 plough machines, the cooperative can meet only 10% of the demand. We need 7 combine harvesters and about 16 plough machines to serve all 1,400 farm households. We still find it hard to use mechanization due to the uncompleted rural transport system. And few businesses are cooperating with the cooperative to collectivize their sales to keep sales prices up’.
Nguyen Quang Lam, Vice Chair of Quynh Minh’s People’s Committee, says the biggest difficulty is funding. All of the 10 unmet goals require investment capital so commune authorities plan to call for contributions by the villagers. He says ‘It’s been difficult to complete the remaining tasks due to a lack of investment capital. In addition to calling for Government assistance, we will mobilize local participation. We’ve learned that if we just discuss things with the villagers and get their positive feedback, any task can be achieved’.