Nguyễn Thị Tuyến (flower-printed shirt), member of the Party Central Committee and Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee, visits IDP Milk Company. Photo courtesy of the Hà Nội Agriculture and Rural Development Department

HÀ NỘI – Ba Vì District has overcome many difficulties and challenges to develop into an exemplary agricultural and rural district of the capital after more than 12 years of implementing the task of new rural construction.

In the future, the district needs to take advantage of its potential and strengths of tourism and culture for further development.

Recently, Nguyễn Thị Tuyến, member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee, and Head of the Steering Committee for Programme No. 04-CTr/TU on "Promoting the Effective Implementation of the National Target Programme on Building New Rural Areas associated with Restructuring the Agriculture and Developing Rural Economy, and Improving the Material and Spiritual Life of Farmers in the 2021-2025 Period" chaired a meeting with the district Party Committee discussing the new rural construction work.

At the meeting, the district’s chairman of the People’s Committee Đỗ Mạnh Hưng said that since earlier this year, the district had focused on actively implementing economic development and new rural construction.

The meeting discussing the new rural construction work in Ba Vì District. Photo courtesy of the Hà Nội Agriculture and Rural Development Department

The total production value in the first six months reached VNĐ5,580 billion (US$235 million), equivalent to 41.79 per cent of the year's plan and up 13.4 per cent over the same period last year, Hưng said.

The district guided the effective implementation of VietGAP rice production model in four communes with a total cultivated area of ​​40ha, the model of rice farming combined with fish farming in Vạn Thắng Commune with a total area of ​​2ha and many other effective economic models, Hưng said.

This year, the district would strive to have 20 more products evaluated and graded One Commune One Products (OCOPs) with 3 stars or more. Currently, the district's total products rated for OCOPs with 3 stars or more are 138 products, including 66 3-star products, and 72 4-star products.

Regarding the task of new rural construction, by the end of 2021, all 30 communes were recognised to meet new rural standards by the Hà Nội authorities.

By the end of 2022, four out of 30 communes were recognised as advanced new rural areas.

This year, the district strives to have four more communes meeting the advanced new rural standards.

The district also reached all new rural district criteria set.

Nguyễn Thị Tuyến, member of the Party Central Committee and Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Hà Nội Party Committee, speaks in a meeting discussing the new rural construction work in Ba Vì District. Photo courtesy of the Hà Nội Agriculture and Rural Development Department

In order to fulfil the target of the new rural construction programmes, Ba Vì proposed Hà Nội government give priority and timely financial support to meet the infrastructure criteria for five advanced new rural communes this year.

At the same time, the inner city districts should pay attention to and provide financial support to the district to improve the quality of school and cultural facility criteria.

Hà Nội should have policies to attract businesses in supporting and linking from production to processing and consumption of key products of Ba Vì District, such as dairy cows, cattle and poultry products, and bananas, as well as collecting and treating waste in livestock to minimise environmental pollution.

Speaking at the meeting, the Hà Nội People’s Committee’s deputy Chairman Nguyễn Mạnh Quyền said that Ba Vì needed to associate the construction of new countryside with tourism development, in which it is necessary to promote information dissemination on the culture of ethnic minorities and special products of the ethnic people.

Hà Nội People’s Committee Deputy Chairman Nguyễn Mạnh Quyền speaks iat the meeting. Photo courtesy of Hà Nội Agriculture and Rural Development Department

Along with that, the district should focus on developing industrial zones associated with agricultural product processing, restricting projects causing environmental pollution and affecting the district’s tourism and service development, Quyền said.

Tuyến recognised and highly appreciated the achievement of new rural development of Ba Vì District.

Ba Vi had closely followed the policy of the Hà Nội Party Committee to carry out tasks, basically fulfilling the criteria for building a new countryside, including the building of concentrated production areas, development of trade and services associated with tourism, Tuyến said.

The district had also focused on completing difficult targets such as rates of people using clean water and development of production areas.

The district was recognised for fulfilling the new rural development task.

Despite many difficulties, Ba Vì had enough conditions to develop into an exemplary district for agricultural and rural development of the capital, Tuyến said.

Tuyến (fourth from right) poses with members of Tản Viên Sơn Co-operative. Photo courtesy of the Hà Nội Agriculture and Rural Development Department

Many historical sites of the district had also been invested in and developed by the city, creating favourable conditions for the development of eco-tourism associated with spiritual tourism, she said.

By the end of this year, the district must focus on developing agricultural production in ecological orientation and considering tourism as a spear-head industry, she said.

Along with that, it was necessary to fulfil the criteria of clean water use and issues related to the Minh Châu island commune and the communes that are building advanced new rural models.

The district also needed to review the planning to develop industrial zones and craft villages and focus on hunger eradication and poverty alleviation, as well as the development of ethnic mountainous areas, she said.

The article is published with coordination of the Coordination Office of the New-Style Rural Development Programme in Hà Nội. — VNS