VietNamNet Bridge – A pilot rural development programme implemented in tandem by the central and city governments has improved the socio-economic conditions in HCM City's outlying districts.

A 3,000-sq.m vegetable garden which meets the Vietnamese Agriculture Practice standards owned by a family in HCM City's Hoc Mon District. The household, in Xuan Thoi Thuong Commune, is able to earn annual profits of more than VND120 million (US$6,000) from growing vegetables. (Photo: VNS)

Last year 11 communes nationwide were selected to participate in the national pilot programme, including Tan Thong Hoi Commune in HCM City's Cu Chi District.

The city then chose another five communes to participate in a similar programme: Thai My in Cu Chi District; Xuan Thoi Thuong in Hoc Mon District; Nhon Duc in Nha Be District; Tan Nhut in Binh Chanh District; and Ly Nhon in Can Gio District.

The programme had a total budget of VND2.54 trillion (US$127 million), of which VND1 trillion (US$50 million) would be raised from local residents and enterprises, and the remaining taken from the State budget and loans, said Le Thanh Liem, director of the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The Tan Thong Hoi Commune so far has attained 14 of the 19 rural development benchmarks set by the Government.

The criteria related to master plans on land, infrastructure and socio-economic development, transportation, irrigation, electricity, communications, education, culture, environment, per capita income, access to health services, housing and political and social security, he said.

Liem, who is also deputy head of the municipal Steering Committee for the National Rural Development Programme, said the Thai My Commune and the Xuan Thoi Thuong Commune had so far met 10 criteria, Nhon Duc and Ly Nhon communes, seven each, and Tan Nhut Commune, with five.

In Tan Thong Hoi, 19 construction projects had been completed including 10 in transportation, four in irrigation, three schools and two cultural facilities. Seventeen other construction works were ongoing, said Tran Van Chi, chairman of the commune's People's Committee.

The per capita annual income in the commune increased by 35.9 per cent to VND24.2 million (US$1,200) this year from VND17.8 million ($890) last year, Chi said.

The average value in agricultural production was VND177 million ($8,850) per hectare, he said, adding that local unemployment rate had decreased to 4.6 per cent of the commune's workforce this year from 6.7 per cent in 2009.

The number of poor households with individual members' average incomes less than the city's poverty line of VND12 million ($600) per year in the commune fell to 1,000 households from nearly 1,780 households recorded in 2009, he added.

The commune aimed to meet all 19 criteria by next year, he said.

HCM City would scale up the pilot programme to additional 22 communes in the city's outlying districts next year, raising the total number of communes under the programme to 28, Liem said.

It hopes to have all 58 communes in the city's outlying districts fulfil the national criteria for new rural areas by 2017, three years earlier than the targeted deadline of 2020.

Ho Xuan Hung, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the programme aimed to develop new rural areas with modern socio-economic infrastructure and appropriate production models that link agriculture with the development of industry and services and improved living standards of rural people while protecting the environment.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News