Binh Duong moves quickly on the path of urban agriculture

Efficiency of the cooperative economy

The year 2024 marks the 10^th anniversary of the establishment of Bac Tan Uyen district (Binh Duong). Bac Tan Uyen district today has had positive changes and new breakthroughs in all socio-economic fields. In particular, with favorable land and climate conditions, Bac Tan Uyen district is one of the leading localities in terms of productivity and quality of citrus fruit trees in the province. The district is continuing to implement many solutions towards developing high-tech agriculture and urban agriculture.

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Quoc Viet, Head of the Economics Department of Bac Tan Uyen District, said that the locality currently meets the standards of a new rural district. On the path to conquering this goal, there is great support from the operational efficiency of the cooperative economy, which helps the new rural appearance become more and more prosperous and people's average income to steadily increase.

For example, in Tan My commune these days, both sides of the road leading into the commune have several kilometers of oranges and pomelo. Farmers here diligently prune branches and harvest oranges and pomelo to sell to Tan My Cooperative, one of the most effective and typical collective economic models in Binh Duong province.

Excited about the new rural appearance, Mr. Le Minh Sang, Director of Tan My Fruit Tree Cooperative, shared: Thanks to the new rural area, the rural electricity and road systems have been methodically invested all the way to the alley, which both helps farmers conveniently apply new technology to production and facilitates for traders to buy agricultural products at the garden. Thereby, helping farmers have the conditions to get rich.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Minh, Vice Chairwoman of the Tan My Commune People's Committee, cooperative economic development has contributed to helping the new rural appearance in Tan My commune to become more and more prosperous, the number of poor households to decrease, and the per capita income to steadily increase. Especially thanks to converting ineffective crops to citrus trees such as green-skinned pomelo, orange-leaf sweet pomelo, tangerine, and orange, many households here have become rich, making a great contribution to helping the locality meet advanced new rural commune standards in 2021. Since the beginning of 2023, through mobilizing the contributions of a large number of people in the commune, Tan My commune has also been highly focused, aiming to reach the goal of meeting the standards of a model new rural commune. 

According to the Economics Department of Bac Tan Uyen District, as of now, the entire Bac Tan Uyen district has 32 operating cooperative groups with 175 members and 27 cooperatives with 258 members. Thanks to the positive contributions of cooperatives and cooperative groups, up to now, the district's agricultural production value has reached VND 2,765 billion, an average increase of 7.6%/year. Of which, crop production accounts for 79% and livestock farming for 22%. The area of high-tech application in crop production is approximately 3,000 hectares, with valuable crops such as pomelo, orange, tangerine, banana, jackfruit, and durian. Of which, the VietGAP and GlobalGAP-certified area reaches 293 hectares, an increase of 90 hectares compared to 2020.

"From now to 2025, one of the key tasks set by the district is to continue to promote all resources, focus on investing in a synchronous infrastructure system, and develop the cooperative economy and high-tech agriculture associated with advanced new rural construction, creating a foundation for building Bac Tan Uyen district to become more civilized, modern, and eco-friendly," Mr. Nguyen Hoang Quoc Viet emphasized.

Experienced lessons

Binh Duong identifies building new rural areas as a task with a starting point, no ending point, and the ultimate goal of improving the material and spiritual lives of rural people and shortening the gap between rural and urban areas. Therefore, Binh Duong is leading the country in building new rural areas and developing modern agriculture.

According to Mr. Ho Truc Thanh, Deputy Director of the Binh Duong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the province has a high industrial development index, while agricultural GDP only accounts for over 2.6%. Therefore, to successfully implement the national target program for building new rural areas, Binh Duong province has promoted the development of urban industry to support agricultural and rural development. At the same time, Binh Duong has taken advantage of urban industrial development to create a potential market for agricultural products. This helps increase consumption and exports of agricultural products.

Besides, Binh Duong invested heavily in transportation infrastructure, electricity, roads, schools, and health stations to narrow the gap between rural and urban areas. This helps improve access to medical and socio-cultural services for rural residents. Thanks to these measures, Binh Duong has narrowed the geographical gap and improved access to medical and socio-cultural services for rural residents.

Particularly, in order for agriculture to have a foothold in the economic sector, Binh Duong province has integrated programs for developing high-tech agriculture associated with the agricultural product processing industry. Thereby, the province has called for many investors to invest capital in the field of high-tech agriculture, contributing to changing the production thinking of farmers in rural areas of the province. This is an important experienced lesson for other provinces and cities in developing new rural areas.

At the end of 2018, Binh Duong reached the milestone of 100% of communes achieving new rural areas. The national target program for building new rural areas in Binh Duong province for the 2021–2025 period has passed more than half the way, and the appearance of new rural communes in the province is increasingly prosperous.

"Binh Duong sets a goal for 2024 to complete the dossier of districts meeting new rural standards for 3 districts: Bau Bang, Phu Giao, and Bac Tan Uyen, and submit it to the Central Appraisal Council for recognition; strive for 100% of communes to meet advanced new rural standards while maintaining and strengthening the criteria in communes that have been recognized as meeting new rural and advanced new rural standards according to the national criteria set for the 2021–2025 period. Strive to have 5 communes that meet model new rural standards; and continue to implement and complete the items of the "Smart Village" pilot project in Bach Dang commune, Tan Uyen city," Mr. Ho Truc Thanh emphasized.

In the next period, Binh Duong sets a goal that by 2025, 100% of communes (41/41) will meet advanced new rural standards, 24% of communes (10/41) will meet model new rural standards, and 100% of districts will meet new rural standards. Complete the pilot construction of "Smart Village" in Bach Dang commune (Tan Uyen city) and replicate it in the remaining communes in accordance with the actual conditions of each locality. Improve the quality of life of rural people and increase income at least 1.8 times compared to 2020; Complete the pilot implementation of the Project to build new rural areas during the urbanization process at the district level for Bau Bang and replicate it for the remaining areas in accordance with the actual conditions of each locality.