Confidence to move forward from awakening people's strength

(Baonghean) - 2014 has come to an end, it is the time for the Party committees at all levels, the government and the people in the province to look back on a year of activities; at the same time, it is also the time to evaluate the 4 years of implementing the resolutions of the Party Congresses at all levels on plans, projects, goals set at the beginning of the term and the results of implementation...

Bustling seaside

In the sweet cold of the last days of the year, I returned to the coastal area of ​​Quynh Luu - where there are fishermen who have experienced the storms and actively stick to the sea. Obviously, despite the many times of "silver sea", the fishermen here still consider their boats as their home, and the sea as their homeland, their life passed down from many generations. The role of the sea for the land and people of Quynh Luu is shown in the "telling" numbers of the number of boats and the total seafood output increasing each year.

Since 2010, the entire Quynh Luu district has had more than 2,200 ships and boats; collecting more than 30 thousand tons of seafood annually, worth 177 billion VND. However, the incentives from the sea have not yet fully reflected the potential of Quynh Luu's marine economy. The resources under the deep sea urge people here to innovate offshore fishing equipment and means; modernize exploitation technology to increase product value, improve quantity to meet export standards. That urge comes from the aspirations of tens of thousands of fishermen and the concerns of local Party committees and authorities. Therefore, implementing the Resolution of the 26th District Party Congress for the 2010-2015 term, the District Party Executive Committee built and issued Project No. 05 on economic development, including the determination: "...promoting advantages to strongly develop the marine economy".

Buying fish at Lach Quen Port.

The project is truly a “compass” to mobilize resources to develop the marine economy in Quynh Luu in terms of fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing. Regarding Son Hai commune, talking about the seafaring profession, comrade Tran Van Hung - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee affirmed that here, the seafaring profession is the mainstay of the commune's economy.

Implementing the project of the District Party Committee, the Commune Party Committee has researched and developed a project to strongly develop the offshore fishing fleet and fishing logistics services. "With the participation of the entire political system, especially the Party Committee and local authorities, we always create favorable conditions for fishermen to access bank capital, as well as support mechanisms and policies of the State, adding confidence and encouraging them to boldly invest in large ships and large engines to go offshore."

Also from those ways of doing, the marine economy in Son Hai has had clear changes. I had the opportunity to meet comrade Tran Van Thay - a party member with more than 30 years of party membership. Leaving the army and returning to his hometown, like many men in this land, comrade Thay is attached to the seafaring profession as an inevitable thing. After many years of hardship, he has a stable career with 3 large capacity ships. Generously waving his hand to point out the majestic ships silhouetted against the horizon, comrade Thay shared: “Currently, my family is contributing capital to build and buy back 3 fishing boats that are going offshore, all with a capacity of over 90 CV. Among them, there is a 400 CV boat that is used for fishing both fish and squid, which just went offshore this year; creating jobs for many workers with an average income of 4.5 million VND/person/month; the remaining two boats have an average labor income of about 3 million VND/person/month. Currently, my family is working with my brothers to build another 400 CV boat. It is worth mentioning that during the process of building the new boat, we received help from the Party Committee and local authorities in accessing capital from banks.” Not only is he active and bold in going offshore and sticking to the sea, comrade Thay is also the Chairman of the Commune Fisheries Association. “The Association always closely coordinates with the Party Committee and local authorities to promote the development of the fishing fleet to fishermen and help each other in the process of staying at sea. At the same time, it works with banks and superior authorities to create conditions for fishermen to access capital and receive support policies from the State,” Mr. Thay added.

The close connection between the local Party Committee, the local government, the Association and the fishermen has become an important foundation for many consecutive years for Son Hai's fishing fleet to grow rapidly in both quantity and capacity. In particular, many households have boldly built new fishing boats to go offshore instead of buying old boats as before.

According to the commune's statistics, in 2011 and 2012, the commune only had 1 new ship built each year, but in 2013 there were 14 ships and in 2014 there were 19 new ships built, bringing the total number of ships in the commune to 256, of which 215 had a capacity of 90CV or more. Currently, the total capacity of Son Hai's fishing vessels reached 51 thousand CV, an increase of 100% compared to 2010; the output of exploited aquatic products in 2014 is estimated at 3,500 tons, exceeding the set plan. "On the other hand, the number of workers in the seafood exploitation industry of the commune is up to more than 1,600 people, not to mention the means of creating jobs for hundreds of sea workers in other localities. The value of the marine economy has accounted for about 60% of the economic structure of the commune in a sustainable manner", the Chairman of Son Hai commune said excitedly.

Not only developing seafood capture, aquaculture is also a strength that Project 05 of Quynh Luu district identifies for investment and development by reviewing and supplementing the planning of concentrated seafood processing areas, seed production areas, industrial shrimp farming areas, etc. At the same time, applying aquaculture in the direction of concentrated intensive farming; applying advanced technology, clean farming technology; diversifying farming objects, prioritizing the development of species with high productivity and high export value such as: penaeid shrimp, black tiger shrimp; continuing to develop farming areas in the industrial direction.

With key orientations, methodical implementation and the active participation of the entire political system; application and integration of State mechanisms and policies; dynamism, creativity and efforts to overcome difficulties of the people, after 4 years of implementation, Project 05 has really come into life, affirming the correct policy of the local Party Committee and government, especially for the development of the marine economy. Up to now, the total number of fishing vessels in Quynh Luu has reached 1,197, of which 640 are vessels over 90CV, an increase of 255 compared to 2010, with a total engine capacity of 120,000 CV, creating jobs for over 12,000 workers in coastal areas. The aquaculture area is estimated at 2,365 hectares. The total output of aquatic products is nearly 50,000 tons. These telling figures bring the total value of seafood production in 2014 of Quynh Luu to an estimated more than 1,374 billion VND, an increase of more than 80% compared to 2010, exceeding the target by nearly 14%.

Discussing with us about the above positive results, comrade Le Duc Cuong - Secretary of Quynh Luu District Party Committee said: Determining that marine economy is the strength of the locality, but exploitation is still not commensurate with the potential. Therefore, right from the beginning of the term of the District Party Congress, the issuance of Project 05 was considered necessary to promote this field. Since then, every year, Quynh Luu district has always focused on calling for, mobilizing and effectively using capital sources from the Central, the province and the locality to build infrastructure to help develop the marine economy such as fishing ports, roads, etc. In addition, proactively coordinating with specialized sectors to train captains, chief engineers, and crew members; opening classes to transfer science and technology in fishing and farming to people; encouraging the development of fishing logistics services. Therefore, the industry of exploiting and farming aquatic products has increasingly developed and has made an increasingly large contribution to the economic structure of Quynh Luu. Currently, the locality is focusing on developing another strength of the marine economy, which is marine tourism, and has initially attracted investors.

Changes in the highlands

Saying goodbye to the coastal land of Quynh Luu, we went up to the highlands of Que Phong and witnessed the great changes in this remote border area. In recent years, implementing the conversion of crop structure according to Resolution 20 of the District Party Committee, many economic models have been deployed, especially promoting the value of native plant and animal varieties, while introducing new effective varieties, creating a new picture for the rural areas of this highland border district.

In Chau Kim commune, we met the family of Mr. Vi Xuan Hung and Mrs. Ha Thi Quyet in Do village. Although their family's yard is small, they built a very scientific pig, chicken and duck farm to ensure environmental hygiene and good livestock development. Chickens and ducks are raised in a pillow-like manner, so the family almost always has enough to sell. In particular, Mr. Hung's family's pig farming model is highly economically effective. In June 2013, he received 2 black pigs from the State, and with the family's investment, now he and his wife have a herd of 38 pigs. Talking to us, Mrs. Quyet happily said: "Thanks to raising pigs, the family's life is much more stable than before. People in the commune see that the family's farming is effective, so many people also come to get pig breeds to raise." Mr. Hung and Mrs. Quyet's family is not a rare case in Chau Kim commune.

In recent years, implementing the restructuring of crops and livestock according to the resolution of the District Party Committee, the Party Committee and People's Committee of Chau Kim commune have focused on guiding people to develop production associated with the implementation of the National Target Program on new rural construction. On the basis of implementing land consolidation, in areas with difficulties in irrigation water, the commune has boldly piloted sugarcane cultivation and contacted the NASU sugarcane factory to sell seeds to sugarcane farmers in other districts. Currently, the total area of ​​sugarcane seeds in Chau Kim has reached 14.5 hectares. In addition, the commune has also implemented a model of raising black chickens in Choi village and black pigs of local breeds with an increasing herd; built large-scale model fields on an area of ​​30 hectares; deployed bamboo rat fertilizer for rice... The economic efficiency has contributed to accelerating the pace of poverty reduction in the locality.

Comrade Ha Minh Tuan - Vice Chairman of Chau Kim commune said: The conversion of crop and livestock structure associated with enterprises has contributed to stable consumption of products for farmers such as sugarcane and rice. In addition, the livestock breeds are indigenous breeds so they have high economic value, are favored by the market, so the output is also relatively stable. Therefore, it contributes to improving the economy of the people. In 2010, the poverty rate of the commune was nearly 50%, but by the end of 2014, the poverty rate was only over 21%".

The black pig farming model has high economic value for the family of Mr. Vi Xuan Hung and Mrs. Ha Thi Quyet in Chau Kim commune, Que Phong.

Not only Chau Kim, implementing Resolution 20 of the District Party Committee for the 2010-2015 term, the communes and towns of Que Phong have had ways of doing things, choosing to change the structure of plant and animal varieties suitable to the local characteristics to promote strengths. Therefore, many economic models have made their mark and had great influence in recent years such as passion fruit in Tri Le commune, sugarcane growing in Que Son commune, Chau Kim...

Talking to us, comrade Lu Dinh Thi - Secretary of Que Phong District Party Committee shared: "Que Phong is one of the three poorest districts in the province. Therefore, poverty reduction is considered a key task. The district determined that it must introduce plant and animal varieties suitable for each region and develop them into key crops to help people develop production, contributing to sustainable poverty reduction. In the implementation process, there must be a connection between 4 parties, including: farmers, the state, scientists and businesses to improve production efficiency". With that approach, production efficiency was improved, people's income increased, and Que Phong's poverty reduction efforts also began to reap "sweet fruits". By the end of 2014, the poverty rate of Que Phong district was only 37%, compared to more than 50% in 2011.

During the journey in the last days of 2014, in each land we passed, we could see that the leadership of the Party Committees at all levels with practical resolutions has promoted the local potential, aroused the people's strength in the work of building a stronger and richer homeland. All of this evoked feelings of confidence and hope for tomorrow.

Nhat Le