(VOV) – In its new rural development program, Quang Ninh has underscored the development of production and brand and consumption of products. This orientation has been successful, resulting in improvements in local people’s living conditions. VOV’s Dinh Hieu reports….

Planting mandarin oranges brings in high revenue for farmers in Viet Dan commune in Dong Trieu District, Quang Ninh province. (Photo: baoquangninh.com.vn)

To date, Quang Ninh province has spent 96 million USD on its new rural development program - 15% earmarked for projects to develop and restructure production and develop rural crafts. 225 models for cultivation, husbandry, aquaculture, and handicraft industry have increased productivity, product quality, and people’s incomes. Truong Cong Ngan, the director of Quang Ninh’s new rural development board, notes ‘Production development is the core of developing new rural areas to increase people’s earnings. We focus on farming economy for areas which have advantages over forestry while mobilizing local farmers in the lowland for agricultural land restructuring and mechanization to raise productivity, quality, and efficiency per hectare of farm land. For coastal areas, the locals are provided with favorable conditions to raise seafood and financing to change low-yield land into aquaculture.’

The new development orientation has promoted local advantages. Many localities now earn 4,800 USD per hectare per year. Models for using low-yield land to raise anabas fish, boars, and geoduck clams are typical successful examples. Mechanization of ploughing, harvesting, and agricultural processing has increased. Le Tien Chong, Chairman of Tien Yen district’s People’s Committee, says ‘A program of new rural development can be considered effective if productivity and incomes grow, so we’ve focused on models for developing high-yield varieties of rice and corn and raising high-value seafood.’ 

Quang Ninh has also concentrated on developing 24 brands of local agricultural produce and half of them were approved last year. In addition, a number of material zones have been established to produce glutinous rice in Dong Trieu, safe vegetables in Quang Yen, and tea in Hai Ha. Dang Huy Hau, Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, says ‘The main thing to consider is product consumption. We have been very careful in designing this program from brand development to applying science and technology to production and consumption. The local coal industry with its 10,000 workers, and the tourism sector with 6 million tourists a year, are big markets for agricultural produce. We have started to build chains of product consumption.’

Dinh Hieu – VOV