Over $132.8 million allocated for rural development in Lao Cai

The year 2026 has been identified as a pivotal year for Lao Cai Province to accelerate the implementation of comprehensive rural development goals under Project No. 09 of the Provincial Party Committee. With strong political determination, coordinated engagement from the entire political system, and the joint efforts of local people and businesses, Lao Cai is striving to make breakthroughs in ecological agriculture development, modern rural construction, and the improvement of both material and spiritual living standards for rural residents.

Project 09 has been concretized based on Resolution No. 35-NQ/TU of the Lao Cai Provincial Party Executive Committee and Plan No. 72-KH/ĐU of the Party Committee of the Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee. The project aims to realize Lao Cai’s agricultural development transformation into a modern, sustainable, and climate-resilient model aligned with international integration trends.

A key highlight of the plan is the concretization of targets, tasks, and priority solutions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in the agriculture and rural development sectors, while also promoting the central role of local people, cooperatives, and businesses in agricultural economic development.

Accordingly, Lao Cai aims for the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector to achieve a growth rate of over 5%, with the sector accounting for nearly 15% of the province’s economy. The value of agricultural and fishery production per hectare of cultivated land is targeted to reach approximately USD 3,566. Total grain output is expected to exceed 646,000 tons; total live meat production is projected at 170,000 tons; and aquatic production is targeted at 29,000 tons.

In addition to quantitative growth, Lao Cai is placing special emphasis on improving the quality and added value of agricultural production. The province aims for key commodity sectors to account for 58% of the agricultural sector's total value, while strongly promoting commodity-based agriculture linked to deep processing, brand building, and market expansion.

Improving rural incomes continues to be identified as a central and long-term priority. By the end of 2026, the average rural income is targeted to reach approximately USD 1,593 per person per year, while the province’s multidimensional poverty rate is expected to decline by at least 1.5%.

Alongside economic development, Lao Cai also aims to promote sustainable forestry, maintaining forest coverage at 61.3% and increasing the proportion of the population with access to clean water that meets national standards to 36%. The province is also striving to have additional communes meet new-style rural standards, bringing the total to 15 out of 89 communes.

One key focus is accelerating the development of the collective economy by establishing more than 10 new agricultural cooperatives and certifying 60 additional OCOP products rated three stars or higher. This is considered an important solution to improving the competitiveness of local agricultural products.

To achieve these goals, Lao Cai has introduced a series of comprehensive measures. The province will first strengthen leadership, direction, and extensive dissemination of Project 09 to raise awareness among officials, Party members, businesses, and local communities about the importance of comprehensive rural development in the new development phase.

At the same time, Lao Cai will review and adjust planning strategies to maximize the potential and advantages of each ecological region. The province plans to convert approximately 403 hectares of low-efficiency agricultural land to higher-value crops, including fruit trees, mulberry cultivation, medicinal plants, and other economically valuable crops.

Agricultural restructuring will continue to serve as a core solution. Lao Cai will focus on establishing concentrated commodity production zones for tea, fruit trees, bananas, pineapples, citrus fruits, medicinal plants, vegetables, and flowers; promoting biosafe livestock farming; effectively tapping the potential of cold-water fish farming; expanding large-timber plantation areas; and developing forest-based economies.

The application of science, technology, and digital transformation has been identified as a new driver of development. Lao Cai will accelerate the digitalization of cultivation areas, strengthen traceability systems, and build digital databases for agricultural production, while also applying modern technologies in forest resource monitoring, carbon stock measurement, and land management.

In particular, Lao Cai aims to complete 50% of the development of digital map databases for current conditions and landslide and flash-flood risks, along with real-time emergency response planning tools. This marks an important step toward enhancing disaster prevention and control capacity and minimizing damage amid increasingly complex climate change impacts.

Human resource development is also receiving strong attention through various training and vocational programs for management officials, cooperatives, businesses, and farmers. Lao Cai is working toward building a generation of “digital farmers” equipped with knowledge of e-commerce, production management, digital transformation, and international economic integration.

In addition, Lao Cai will continue to strengthen regional linkages and international cooperation, while leveraging the advantages of border gates and the Hanoi-Lao Cai-Kunming railway route to boost agricultural exports to China and other international markets.

The total funding required to implement the Project in 2026 is estimated at USD 135.1 million. Of this amount, the central government budget will provide USD 57.2 million, Lao Cai’s provincial budget will contribute USD 24.8 million, and USD 53.1 million will be mobilized from other lawful funding sources.

With a clear system of targets, comprehensive solutions, and strong political commitment, Project 09 is creating high expectations for a major transformation of Lao Cai’s rural areas. As resources are effectively mobilized, policies are implemented efficiently, and local people truly become the driving force of development, rural Lao Cai will gain a stronger foundation for breakthrough growth toward ecological agriculture, modern rural development, and prosperous, modern farmers.