Rural development in the Red River Delta and North Central Coast has typical examples that need to be replicated.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong delivered the opening speech at the conference. Photo: Duc Anh

In his opening speech at the conference, Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong emphasized: New rural area (NR) construction in the Red River Delta and North Central Coast (RBD and BTB) is unique, specific and special. In the process of implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Area Construction, localities in the region have encountered many difficulties and challenges. However, "necessity is the mother of invention", localities have had many good and creative ways to overcome difficulties to reach the NTM finish line and become typical examples to be replicated nationwide.

"For example, Nghe An is the province with the largest area in the country, the most populous with 16,500 km2, population of 3.2 million people, of which 80% of the population lives in rural and mountainous areas. Therefore, the construction of new rural areas in Nghe An has its own characteristics, innovations, and very special ways of doing things..." - the Minister cited.

Nghe An is a locality with a good initiative in building new rural areas, which is organizing the contest "Beautiful new rural communes and beautiful new rural villages and hamlets". Photo: Document

Nghe An has a creative way of discovering and honoring typical communes and villages in the new rural construction movement through the contest "Beautiful new rural communes and beautiful new rural villages" to create motivation to promote the movement more widely and deeply, serving as a model for other localities to learn and replicate.

With its own characteristics, large terrain, high proportion of mountainous districts and communes, high population of ethnic minorities, and many difficulties in people's lives, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An have chosen to build each village and hamlet according to appropriate criteria, thereby building communes that meet NTM standards, creating a vibrant and widespread movement, receiving the support of the people. Up to now, the whole province of Nghe An has 667 villages/hamlets; Thanh Hoa has 576 villages and hamlets that meet NTM standards, the appearance of the villages and hamlets changes every day, and people's lives are constantly improving.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Cuong, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee for National Target Programs

In particular, determining that building a new rural area "has only a beginning, not an end", localities such as Nghe An, Quang Ninh, Ha Nam, Nam Dinh... have a policy that communes that have met the new rural standards are directed to build a model new rural commune with advanced criteria. The communes have continued to maintain the existing criteria, improve and improve the weak criteria, and at the same time continue to review and overcome difficulties, exploit potentials and advantages, synchronously deploy solutions to develop production associated with agricultural restructuring, shifting the rural economic structure, increasing income, creating more jobs in the locality, contributing to improving the material and spiritual life of the people, developing localities, striving to soon meet the advanced new rural standards and model new rural areas.

Some new rural construction activities in Nghe An. Photo: Document

That is the model of building a model residential area and a model new rural garden in Ha Tinh that has contributed to increasing people's income through the household economic model; improving the environment; building villages into "livable places" associated with tourism development...

Or in Hanoi, although the capital city has over 386 rural communes, the construction of new rural areas poses many challenges. To effectively implement the National Target Program on New Rural Area Construction, the Hanoi Party Committee has concretized it with Program No. 02-CTr/TU dated August 29, 2011 on "Agricultural development, new rural area construction, gradually improving farmers' lives in the period 2011-2015" and Program No. 02-CTr/TU dated April 26, 2016 on "Agricultural development, new rural area construction, improving farmers' lives in the period 2016-2020" with the focus on new rural area construction.

Agricultural tourism model in Nghe An. Photo: Document

With the determination of the Party Committee and government from the City to the grassroots, especially the people, Hanoi strives to have 10 or more districts meeting new rural standards, communes basically meeting new rural standards, 60 or more communes meeting advanced new rural standards, and 20 communes meeting model new rural standards by the end of 2020.

In addition, to propagate and raise people's awareness of implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Construction, at the grassroots level, there have been good, practical and effective ways. That is, transforming dry and rigid propaganda and mobilization contents into plays and skits with familiar, smooth, easy-to-remember, easy-to-get-to-the-heart folk melodies. From there, change people's awareness, thinking and actions, from "having to" build New Rural Construction to wanting to participate, wanting to implement and voluntarily build New Rural Construction.

"We are very happy, proud and moved by the change in people's awareness in building new rural areas. This result of the Red River Delta and North Central region is imbued with the efforts of the entire political system. Through this summary conference, through the presentations of all levels, sectors and localities presented at the conference, good experiences and creative ways will be contributed to the implementation of the National Target Program on building new rural areas for the next period 2021-2025" - Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong emphasized.