Photo: Chili cultivation model for export in Coi hamlet, Vu
Lam commune
Vu Lam commune began witnessing strong transformation in 2011 when it was selected to carry out the new-rural style area building programme. The district organised communication campaigns to disseminate information about the resolution among public employees, party members and residents. The outcomes of the activity was seen in shifting crops for higher commercial value, with pioneering party members taking part in crop rotation for annual revenue of over 100 million VND. In 2011 – 2015, Vu Lam allocated nearly 67 billion VND for new-style rural development. Per capita income of local people now stands at 30 million VND, and the rate of poor household reduced to 4.8 percent.
Since the resolution was brought into life, the spiritual and material lives of local resident in Lac Son have seen changes. The Lac Son People’s Committee has issued policies to encourage production. The district has paid due attention to hunger elimination, poverty reduction, environmental sanitation and clean water, while poor people have been assisted to get access to capital sources to expand production and build houses. To date, more than 90 percent of rural residents have been enabled to get access to clean water and 70 percent of households have owned husbandry farms meeting hygiene standards. Per capita income in Lac Son now stands at 26 million VND and the rate of poor households is at over 30 percent. Local people also have better access to healthcare services, including preventive health care and vaccination. About 92 percent of residents have joined health insurance. Emulation campaigns on building a civilized life in residential areas and sport-culture drives have attracted large numbers of local people.
Concerning the new-style rural area building programme, local farmers can directly make their recommendations, join discussions to select prioritized tasks, and inspect the progress of the work. By the end of 2016, five communes in Lac Son had met new-style rural area standards. The district is working to have two more communes fulfilling the standards this year.