Cau Ngang district – The transformation of a coastal district

WVR - With great efforts and determination, the construction of new-style rural area in Cau Ngang district (Tra Vinh province) has gained multiple achievements.

Cau Ngang is a coastal district with a large population of Khmer ethnic people (34.7%). There are 8 communes in extreme poverty under Program 135. Over the years, Cau Ngang has actively integrated economic development programs, especially the program of building new-style rural areas in association with restructuring the agricultural sector. Thanks to that, the appearance of the rural area has gradually improved, and the people's material and mental lives have improved day by day.

In recent years, Cau Ngang district has actively worked towards building new-style rural area. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)
In recent years, Cau Ngang district has actively worked towards building a new-style rural area. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

New appearance, new life

These days, going to Khmer communes, it can be seen clearly that the life of Khmer phums, socs are getting better and better. The transport system is well-connected, the landscape is bright - green - clean – beautiful, the houses are lit with electricity, and temporary houses are nowhere to be seen.

Venerable Thach Da Ra, Senior Monk of ThLot Pagoda, Hiep Hoa Commune, Vice Chairman of the Association for Solidarity of Patriotic Monks in Cau Ngang District, said that, because of multiple preferential policies for investment in Khmer areas and policies to support Khmer people, the people have escaped poverty, creating a new face and new vitality for the Khmer ethnic region.

The process of building new-style rural areas in Cau Ngang district has achieved many very important results, thanks to a number of focused and effective solutions. According to Secretary of Cau Ngang District Party Committee Tran Thi Kim Chung, up to now, Cau Ngang has 13/13 communes meeting the standards of new-style rural area, in which 3 communes meet the standard of advanced new-style rural area (My Long Nam, My Long Bac and Hiep My Dong).

In 2021 and the first 6 months of 2022, Cau Ngang district faced many difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but 5 communes in extreme poverty under Program 135 have met new-style rural commune standards.

Currently, Cau Ngang has 2,328 poor households (accounting for 6.21% of the total number of households), 3,921 near-poor households (10.45% - according to the multidimensional poverty line for the 2022-2025 period). The district’s per capita income in 2021 reached 55.2 million VND... 99.6% of ethnic households use electricity, and 99.22% of ethnic households use hygienic water...

Ms. Chung affirmed: "With the efforts and determination of all levels of Party committees, authorities, and the consensus of the people, Cau Ngang will successfully become a new-style rural district in 2022."

Long Son commune achieved new-style rural area status

Going to Long Son (with 65.3% of the population being Khmer), the latest new-style rural commune of Cau Ngang under Program 135, visitors will be mesmerized by the beautiful flower roads planted and cared for by the locals. Although the construction of the flower routes was carried out in a short time, many local people were eager to participate. It created a good effect, having a strong spread in the area.

Mr. Kien Chuan, a resident in Tra Kim hamlet excitedly said: “In the past, it was difficult to travel around, but now, people can go about easily on very spacious roads. On the day the local government launched the construction of roads, planting and taking care of ornamental flowers, people responded enthusiastically. We donate land, contribute labor days, share to build the road that people here cannot do themselves.”

With the advantage of sandy soils for intensive cultivation of crops, in the process of building new-style rural areas, Long Son has restructured agricultural production, mobilized people to promote the development of production, restructured crops and livestock, developed a household economy associated with a cooperative economy, and built many effective business economic models.

Mr. Danh Sa Nul taking care of his family's watermelon field. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)
Mr. Danh Sa Nul taking care of his family's watermelon field. (Photo: Phuong Nghi)

For example, Mr. Danh Sa Nul from Soc Dup hamlet. His annual income reaches over 100 million VND from growing crops in combination with animal husbandry.

He shared that, since the commune began building a new-style rural area, people can travel around more easily, especially during the harvest season. Traders bring trucks to the fields to buy watermelons, peanuts, pumpkins, corn seeds... Not only that, growers reduce production costs.

His family owns 0.5 ha of plantation for the production of 3 crops/year, mainly watermelon, peanuts, chili peppers, etc., and with a profit of 100 million VND/ha. In addition, he hires 10 workers and pays them 150,000 to 250,000 VND per day. Apart from crops, the family also makes use of more than 0.2 ha of grassland to raise 6 breeding cows, with an average profit of 40 million VND/year.

Mr. Thach Ru La, Secretary of the Party Committee of Long Son Commune said that, with the active support of the province and district, Long Son was successful and was recognized as a new-style rural area in early May 2022. Up to now, 100% of the roads are asphalt and cemented. People's lives are getting better and better thanks to the diversified development of agricultural products. 94.5% of houses meet the standards of the Ministry of Construction. Poor households were reduced to less than 2%.

According to Mr. Thach Ru La, these achievements are a great leverage to help Long Son to further develop in the future, continuing to promote the movement of building new-style rural areas to really go into depth, efficiency, and practicality, towards building an enhanced new-style rural area and building exemplary new-style rural area.

In which, the commune will focus on mobilizing resources for infrastructure construction, vocational training in association with job creation, and labor export. At the same time, Long Son will work to boost production to form concentrated production areas that specialize in cultivating crops and raising animals of high economic value.

TIN LIÊN QUAN
The splendor of Hoang Su Phi's terraced paddy fields
When ethnic minorities learn ecotourism marketing
Changes in the lives of Khmer people in Vinh Chau town, Soc Trang
New vitality in Giang Thanh district (Kien Giang)
A new visage of Khmer people in Tinh Bien District, An Giang