"Three economic pillars" in Quynh Nghia

(Baonghean) - In an interview with Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dinh - Head of the Agriculture Department of Quynh Luu district, it was learned that among the three breakthrough economic sectors that the district is focusing on directing coastal communes to develop, including seafood exploitation, tourism, and industry development, Quynh Nghia stands out as a bright spot, creating momentum for rapid development to build new rural areas and a prosperous homeland.

Returning to Quynh Nghia after many years, we were quite surprised to see that the land, once a barren sandy beach stretching nearly 3.5 km along the coast, had suddenly transformed into a prosperous rural area with a bustling and vibrant life. Leading us along the length of the commune to experience the changes in this rural area, Mr. Ho Huu Son – Chief of the Office of the Party Committee, People's Council, and People's Committee of the commune, said: “Over the past few years, Quynh Nghia has persistently pursued its economic development orientation: taking seafood exploitation as the spearhead, agriculture as the foundation, salt production as the traditional craft, and promoting the development of new industries such as tourism, services, and trade. To date, that orientation is becoming a reality, with seafood exploitation being the spearhead bringing in significant revenue.”

We went to the commune's boat mooring area and were fortunate to meet Mr. Pham Manh Tuong's boat from Hamlet 7, which had just unloaded its catch at Quen Lach wharf. Returning from a successful first fishing trip of the year, Mr. Tuong, with a bright smile on his sun-tanned face, said: "On some trips, the boat is full within a few days, but the longest trip lasts almost 10 days. A particularly successful trip brings in about 1 billion VND, while the average is 600 million VND per trip." Mr. Tuong's family used to be struggling, with small boats and weak engines, so they could only fish near the shore. Gradually, with the support of the State and local authorities, they built a 350 HP boat, then upgraded to a 750 HP boat to fish further offshore. Currently, Mr. Tuong's boat has the largest capacity in Quynh Nghia commune, employing 11 workers, each earning an average of 10-12 million VND per month. According to a summary report from Quynh Nghia commune, the locality currently has over a hundred households with boats participating in offshore fishing. Just counting boats with a capacity of 90 horsepower or more, there are 106 vessels, of which 70 have a capacity of 300-750 horsepower. These boats provide regular employment for over 1,000 seafaring workers, with an average income of 100-150 million VND per worker, and in exceptional months, some workers earn 40-50 million VND. Therefore, unlike many other localities, workers in Quynh Nghia do not have to leave their hometowns.

Mr. Bui Xuan Ky, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, further emphasized: Leveraging the advantages of the coastal region, the Commune Party Committee and People's Committee are continuing to encourage fishermen to upgrade their fishing vessels and gear, build more new boats with a capacity of over 750 horsepower, and equip them with modern equipment to ensure both the exploitation of conventional products as before, and the deep-sea exploitation of seafood for export. Alongside exploitation, the commune is focusing on promoting frozen seafood processing services to create more jobs and increase income for fishermen. The commune is also setting a task for 2014 to complete the investment in the concentrated seafood processing zone project approved by the Provincial People's Committee in 2010. With this development, seafood exploitation will continue to be a key sector in Quynh Nghia, contributing to the continued improvement and prosperity of the people's lives.

Besides fishing and seafood exploitation, Quynh Nghia also maintains several other effective industries, including the development of traditional carpentry. In Quynh Nghia, the carpentry trade is primarily the traditional shipbuilding trade, passed down from generation to generation by skilled craftsmen. Each ship built and launched by the craftsmen of Nghia Phu carries the heart and responsibility of its creators, filled with hope for fishermen to have full holds and be safe amidst the turbulent waves of the open sea; and to preserve the traditional craft of their ancestors. Quynh Nghia still preserves the legacy of many master craftsmen who were "famous in their time" in shipbuilding, such as Mr. Cau Lan, Mr. Duoc Linh, and Mr. Thinh My, and now there are new, well-known shipbuilders like Mr. Ho Ngoc and Mr. Ho Van Huyen...

Following a recommendation, we visited Mr. Ho Van Huyen's shipyard. Amidst the sounds of sawing, cutting wood, and chiseling, Mr. Huyen explained: "Depending on the year, we build large or medium-sized ships, but on average, we build 7-8 ships with a 500 HP engine each year, or 9-10 ships with a 320 HP engine, bringing in about 8-10 billion VND per year. The shipyard has 15 permanent workers, each earning about 6-7 million VND per month. Currently, the shipyard is focusing its efforts on completing a 500 HP ship in time for delivery to a customer." Currently in Quynh Nghia, besides the three shipyards (each employing an average of 15-20 workers and building and launching 20 ships with a capacity of 320 to 500 HP each year), in villages 1 and 2, there are dozens of households engaged in civil carpentry, employing hundreds of workers. Quynh Nghia carpentry village was recognized as a traditional craft village by the Provincial People's Committee in 2006.

Besides the two main income-generating occupations, Quynh Nghia continues to maintain traditional salt production and other trades. Salt production in Quynh Nghia is now less arduous than before thanks to two salt production cooperatives that have improved salt fields, increased productivity and output, and found stable markets for the people, contributing to a relatively high and stable income for salt farmers, especially in recent years when salt prices have increased significantly. Annual salt production reaches 6,000-8,000 tons.

In Quynh Nghia, deer farming is a traditional occupation maintained by local people since 1983, involving hundreds of households and providing a significant source of income through the sale of deer antlers and fawns. In addition, small-scale handicrafts such as sawing, welding, and ice production are newly introduced, meeting the needs of the people in the commune and surrounding areas. According to Bui Xuan Ky, Vice Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, based on the district's orientation on three breakthroughs in the economic development of the coastal area, local leaders have utilized the advantages and conditions of the locality to focus on flexible leadership in a diversified and effective manner. As a result, Quynh Nghia's economy is experiencing strong growth, contributing to reducing the local poverty rate to only about 4%.

Building on the success of several key industries that have created breakthroughs in economic development, Quynh Nghia is now focusing on developing coastal tourism. With a 3.4 km long coastline, a beautiful, clean, gently sloping beach, abundant fresh and inexpensive seafood, and the peaceful atmosphere of a coastal fishing village, Quynh Nghia beach has long been a popular destination for tourists during holidays and summer. According to local leaders, during the April 30th and May 1st holidays, Quynh Nghia beach attracted over 10,000 visitors from various regions to enjoy the scenery, swim, and sample local seafood specialties. To capitalize on the potential of coastal tourism, the commune has built dozens of kiosks and two guesthouses along the beach to serve tourists. Based on the approved plan, Quynh Nghia is also continuing to focus on attracting investors to develop tourism infrastructure on the beach, aiming to effectively exploit this beautiful and picturesque beach with its immense potential. The direction is very clear: the Party Committee, the government, and all sectors of the people are continuing to unite and work together, with assistance from outside and investment cooperation from businesses, to make Quynh Nghia prosperous and strong.

Text and photos:Mai Hoa