Building New Rural Areas: The Secret to Success in Nghia Dong

(Baonghean) - Nghia Dong - Tan Ky commune does not have many advantages like other communes in the delta region, the starting point in building a new rural area has only 8 criteria. However, with strong leadership and knowing how to mobilize all resources, up to now, the commune has reached the new rural area finish line. This is the pride not only of the Party Committee and people of Nghia Dong, but also the pride of Tan Ky district.

The whole political system is involved.

Crossing Sen Bridge to Nghia Dong today, visitors not only travel on standard concrete roads connecting the whole commune but also see high-rise buildings, bustling neighborhoods next to green mulberry fields and sugarcane fields. With the efforts of the entire political system, Nghia Dong has built a system of schools, cultural houses, stadiums, etc., creating a new rural appearance.

Growing mulberry trees to raise silkworms in hamlet 6, Nghia Dong commune (Tan Ky).

The "one house one plot" field in Nghia Dong commune

Specific assignment is the decisive factor for success. Based on the general resolution, the Party Committee issues a plan to assign specific tasks to each department, branch, and organization in the political system. The Commune People's Committee develops detailed projects and plans, and proposes solutions for implementation. The Fatherland Front develops a plan to propagate and mobilize members in the Front and the people to join hands in building the new rural area through launching patriotic emulation movements; the Farmers' Association propagates and mobilizes members to accumulate land; does a good job of converting the structure of crops, livestock, and production towards commodities; the Youth Union mobilizes union members and young people to well implement the project of civilized weddings and engagements; the Women's Union, in addition to propaganda, undertakes to implement environmental sanitation criteria through the establishment and operation of 15 "5 no, 3 clean" clubs; the Veterans' Association is assigned by the Party Committee to mobilize members to undertake the transfer of livestock farming models from farms to the fields; The Elderly Association has the task of mobilizing children and grandchildren to join hands in building the New Rural Area;...

Cultural house of hamlet 6, Nghia Dong commune.

Mr. Tran Van Trung - Deputy Secretary of the Commune Party Committee discussed: After assigning specific tasks, propaganda work to disseminate ideology is considered a decisive factor. The Commune Fatherland Front drafted many articles and propaganda programs through the form of dramatization; organized many conferences from the commune to the hamlet to propagate and mobilize union members, members and people to implement the new rural criteria. On the other hand, the Party Committee assigned tasks to cadres and Party members responsible for household groups to do a good job of mass mobilization work, creating consensus between the Party's will and the people's hearts. From doing a good job of ideological work among the people, the Party Committee, the Steering Committee, on the basis of the National criteria to review and evaluate the achieved criteria, from 8 criteria, after 3 years, Nghia Dong has achieved 19/19 new rural criteria.

Address each criterion

To have a neat and orderly rural appearance from roads to welfare works, residential area improvement, fields... planning is a very important task. Based on the reality, the Steering Committee for New Rural Areas of the commune coordinated with the consulting agency to develop a master plan until 2020 and the following years. The planning work in Nghia Dong was discussed democratically and openly to the people, at the same time, accepting constructive comments from organizations and people.

Regarding the criteria for increasing income, in previous years, agricultural production faced many difficulties, with more than 500 hectares of degraded, fragmented alluvial land, mainly crops of corn, peanuts, and beans, with ineffective production and income reaching only 30 million VND/ha/year. The commune has been determined to transform the structure of crops and livestock, effectively exploiting land potential such as: lending people more land for production, intensive cultivation of sugarcane and mulberry; bringing farms to the fields and having a stimulus mechanism for farmers to do business effectively. Veteran Phan Van Chinh in Hamlet 7, Nghia Dong, said: Before, I only grew sugarcane, earning only 35 - 40 million VND in profit a year, but now, with the commune's policy of bringing farms to the fields, it has helped me develop the farm to raise 22 more cows and 50 goats. In addition, my family also grows sugarcane and grass, thanks to which, the annual income is also more than 100 million VND. Increased income is the basis for working with fellow veterans to promote and contribute to the construction of new rural areas in the commune.

In the process of converting crops and livestock, there are still some people who do not believe that it will be effective. From that situation, the Party Committee has directed and assigned tasks to cadres, party members, and typical farmer members, promoting the pioneering and exemplary spirit. At the same time, the Commune People's Committee has selected the worst land to bring sugarcane and grass into livestock farming as a control model. From the obvious effectiveness of the control model and the exemplary role of cadres, party members, and members of the Farmers' Association, the people have gradually followed. As a result, after 3 years of converting crops towards producing commodity plants and animals, creating specialized production areas. Up to now, the planned area for growing sugarcane is 370 hectares; mulberry: 40 hectares; grass: 70 hectares. Comparing the effectiveness per unit of land area after conversion shows that: Previously, corn brought in an income of 25 - 30 million VND/ha, when converted to sugarcane, it brought in an income of 80 million VND/ha; Growing grass for livestock brings in an income of 70 - 80 million VND/ha. In particular, mulberry trees bring in an economic efficiency of 150 - 180 million VND/ha. All types of crops after conversion bring in 2 - 3 times higher income. For 2-rice land, the Party Committee focuses on directing the conversion in the spirit of Directive No. 08 CT/TU of the Provincial Party Committee dated May 8, 2012 on "Land consolidation, plot exchange" and encouraging land accumulation to develop large-scale production in agriculture. Responding to the movement, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and organizations have joined in a synchronous manner, mobilizing people to convert land. Taking the lead is the Farmers' Association, mobilizing thousands of working days to dig and fill over 5,000m3 of land, embankments, and plot banks, creating large plots. Nghia Dong is the first commune in the whole province to successfully implement "One-field hamlet, one-plot house". Along with crop conversion is livestock planning in the direction of developing family farms and open-field farms. After 3 years of implementation, 25 concentrated livestock and poultry farms have been developed.

From the effectiveness of the work of converting the structure of crops and livestock, the average income of people increased from 10 million VND/person/year (2011) to over 20 million VND/person/year (2013), the poverty rate decreased from 6.7% to 3.9%; on the other hand, the conversion model has created regular, on-site jobs for hundreds of local workers.

Regarding infrastructure construction, Nghia Dong has taken advantage of the State's programs and projects along with the land donation and contributions of hundreds of families, including officials, party members and people. People have donated more than 10,000 square meters of garden land, dismantled thousands of meters of fences, and some solid construction works, with a total value of more than 2 billion VND to serve the planning work and open roads without requiring compensation. In particular, in the 2 years of 2012 - 2013, the whole commune focused on the criteria of irrigation traffic. When there was a policy of the province to support cement for building roads according to the national target program on new rural construction. After receiving it, the Steering Committee developed an implementation plan, disseminated it to officials, party members and people, so that people could participate in discussions, reach consensus and implement it resolutely. Thanks to that, the traffic criteria, which is the most difficult task for mountainous communes, were completed.

Regarding the construction of cultural life, the commune prioritizes the construction of a school system, creating the most favorable conditions for facilities to serve children's learning. With 20 billion VND from the State budget and contributions from the people, and support from successful local children, the commune has focused on upgrading facilities and investing in teaching equipment. Up to now, all 4 schools of 3 levels in the area have met national standards, creating a good environment and a solid foundation for children on their learning path. As a result, every year, 90-100 students pass the entrance exams to universities and colleges nationwide. From the advances in education, the implementation of civilized lifestyles in weddings, funerals, celebrations, and death anniversaries has also become routine. In 5 years of implementation, the whole commune has organized 250 weddings with dessert parties at the commune People's Committee hall organized by the youth union according to a cultural lifestyle.

Regarding the criteria for building a comprehensively strong political system, which is of great concern to the Party Committee, in addition to strengthening internal solidarity and improving the qualifications of cadres from commune to hamlet, focusing on improving the fighting capacity and quality of Party activities at the Party cell is extremely important. The Party Committee regularly follows the grassroots to grasp and promptly resolve problems right at each hamlet unit.

Mr. Ngo Xuan Nghia - Chairman of the Commune People's Committee, a passionate and involved person in the commune's new rural movement, shared: After 3 years of implementing the new rural program, Nghia Dong has mobilized resources from successful children far from home, and businesses with passion for their homeland. Nghia Dong has mobilized 150 billion VND to build infrastructure. Of which, 47 billion VND was invested in transportation, 65 billion VND was invested in irrigation, and 38 billion VND was invested in education and healthcare. The commune has built 3 new high-rise schools and 10 village cultural houses. 90% of houses have been renovated and newly built according to level 4A standards, including 160 new high-rise houses; specialized areas have been planned and put into production according to large-scale fields. The most important thing in building new rural areas is to change the mindset and awareness of small-scale business among the people to business in the direction of commodity production. People love their homeland more when they themselves are the subjects in building new rural areas.

Article and photos:Chau Lan