A tea picking experience at the community-based tourism hamlet of Bản Ven in Xuân Lương Commune, Yên Thế District, Bắc Giang Province. — Photo courtesy of Bắc Giang Province

BẮC GIANG — Bắc Giang Province has made great strides in its new-style rural programme, significantly transforming its rural landscape.

Communes across the province are pooling their resources to achieve the programme goals within the set timeframe.

Rural transformation underway

The picturesque bamboo forest in the community-based tourism hamlet of Bản Ven in Yên Thế District, Bắc Giang Province. — Photo courtesy of Bắc Giang Province

One of the standout examples is Xuân Cẩm Commune in Hiệp Hòa District, which achieved advanced new-style rural status in 2023.

The commune is working to become an exemplary new-style rural commune in late 2024, with visible infrastructure improvements and economic opportunities.

Vice Chairman of Xuân Cẩm People's Committee Nguyễn Quang Liêm underlined the substantial investment allocated for the rural transformation efforts, totalling VNĐ123 billion (US$4.9 million).

The money, a large part of which comes from higher governments' sponsorship and about VNĐ17 billion ($683,000) from the commune's budget and community contributions, has been spent on educational facilities, cultural centres and public infrastructure.

The commune has also adopted advanced agricultural techniques, such as mechanised rice planting and drone-assisted pesticide application, contributing to a steady rise in household incomes and a drop in poverty rates.

Notably, the annual income per capita in the commune rose to approximately VNĐ52.3 million ($2,100) in 2023, from VNĐ47.2 million in 2022. Its poverty rates declined steadily, with only 2.21 per cent of households now below the poverty line.

Xuân Cẩm’s progress mirrors the broader transformation seen in other parts of Bắc Giang.

Across the province, 145 out of 182 communes have met the new-style rural standards, with 59 achieving advanced new-style rural status and 12 reaching exemplary new-style rural status.

These communes have also seen a narrowing income gap with urban areas, improved environmental quality and better transportation infrastructure.

Pushing forward

The smart hamlet model in Xuân Cẩm Commune, Hiệp Hòa District, Bắc Giang Province, features modern QR codes for house identification. The commune achieved the advanced new-style rural status in 2023. — Photo courtesy of Bắc Giang Province

The province aims to have five additional communes and 12 hamlets achieve new-style rural status, 12 additional communes reach advanced new-style rural status and seven communes and 79 hamlets qualify as exemplary new-style rural areas in 2024.

However, the progress has been slower than expected, with only three out of the 79 planned exemplary new-style rural hamlets meeting the required standards so far.

A public official attributes the slow progress to the stringent new-style rural criteria for the 2021-2025 period, which are more demanding and difficult to achieve within the given timeframe.

Additionally, the delays in the delivery of central government funds and the limited budget at the local level have also played a part in hampering transformation efforts.

District-level governments have supplemented central and provincial support with their funding mechanisms to overcome the obstacles. For instance, Lục Nam District offers VNĐ2.5 billion ($100,500) to every commune with a new-style rural status and between VNĐ2 billion and VNĐ4.5 billion to one with an exemplary new-style rural status.

Chairman of Bắc Giang People's Committee Lê Ánh Dương has called on localities to accelerate funding and construction work to achieve the rural transformation targets as planned.

Communes targeting new-style, advanced new-style and exemplary new-style status in 2024, he said, must finalise assessments and submit necessary dossiers by the end of November.

He has also urged the communes to focus on difficult-to-meet criteria, such as meeting the requirement for clean water access by constructing more connections to the existing water facilities.

He has also underlined the role of awareness campaigns, including the 'All people unite to build new-style rural areas and civilised cities' campaign, in boosting public involvement.

A view of the Bích Động Town, Việt Yên County, Bắc Giang Province. — Photo courtesy of Bắc Giang Province

In the words of Deputy Director of Bắc Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hà Minh Quý, the success of the new-style rural programme lies in changing the mindset of local authorities and residents.

"Bắc Giang will continue to refine its new-style rural criteria to raise the bar on rural communities and align the criteria with their residents' evolving needs," said Quý. — VNS