Bac Lieu Provincial Party Secretary Lu Van Hung conducts an inspection of agricultural production models in Hong Dan district, August 2023

Planning is the "compass" for development

Planning is one of the core tasks in development, a management tool that guides, shapes and leads the development process. Realizing this, Hong Dan district has paid attention to planning and the Hong Dan Construction Planning to 2030, with a vision to 2050, was approved by Bac Lieu province at the end of 2023. According to the plan, by 2025, Hong Dan district will basically complete new rural development standards by tapping and promoting existing potential strengths. By nature, Hong Dan is the northern gateway district of Bac Lieu province, connected to important international, national and regional Mekong regional traffic routes, and has close links with Hau Giang, Soc Trang and Kien Giang provinces. Lying in the northern economic subregion of Bac Lieu province, Hong Dan district develops specialized agriculture, high-tech agriculture combined with natural fishing and processing industry, and develops concentrated urban areas, medium-scale industry, ecotourism, and craft village tourism of Bac Lieu province.

According to the Bac Lieu Regional Planning approved in 2014, Hong Dan district belongs to the Bac Lieu northern economic subregion, an urban and industrial development area; forms specialized areas for rice production, vegetables, high-tech agriculture combined with processing industries; conserves ecosystems and biodiversity, natural aquaculture, ecotourism, and craft village tourism of the province. Hong Dan district is planned to be built into a "center for rice production and rice export" of Bac Lieu province.

The district has actively restructured agriculture in a comprehensive and sustainable direction; mobilized the strength of the entire political system, increased investment to build the district into a high-quality rice production and rice export center of Bac Lieu province.

In addition to gradually shifting to high-quality rice production to increase added value, the district has actively linked production and converted small-scale production to large-scale concentrated production; accelerated mechanization and automation in agricultural production to change farming methods, increase productivity and better working conditions for farmers.

In particular, the district has carefully applied information technology, scientific and technical advances in biological agricultural production to promote safe, efficient, sustainable and eco-friendly production process and reduce input costs to raise productivity and profitability.

Besides, Hong Dan has maintained two production areas: Freshwater area and converted area. At the same time, the district has expanded and developed the converted area to adopt rotary rice-fish farming model (23,000 - 25,000 ha), with a focus on black tiger shrimp, premium rice and Mot Bui Do rice. The locality has also restructured suitable rice varieties, planned Mot Bui Do-branded rice production area according to the given standards and regulations, and ensured local prestige for this product. It has developed the geographical indication of Mot Bui Do rice; and strengthened product information, communications and promotion to local and external markets and businesses.

For the freshwater area, the district has focused on developing premium rice farming on over 8,990 ha for domestic consumption and for export. It has built 300 ha of concentrated seed production areas to meet local production needs.

An integrated rice-shrimp production model and freshwater fish farming and water lily cultivation is being developed in Hong Dan district

Creating breakthroughs in infrastructure

To realize economic restructuring goals and boost socioeconomic development, Hong Dan district is to make a breakthrough and take the lead in infrastructure development investment.

According to the Hong Dan People's Committee, in 2021-2023, nearly VND500 billion was invested in basic construction. The fund was allocated to most economic sectors and fields, with priority given to key areas such as transportation, irrigation, power grid, water supply, science - technology, education, health, culture, sports and national defense - security.

Some completed and operational projects have made breakthroughs in improving the district’s traffic infrastructure system. Since the beginning of the current administration term, Hong Dan has completed and operated important projects such as 25 rural traffic projects and 23 reinforced concrete bridges; planned irrigation systems for two saline and freshwater areas; invested in upgrading and building dikes, dams, and closed dikes in response to climate change.

Rural infrastructure has a new look with hundreds of kilometers of rural roads and bridges built to facilitate product circulation and exchanges for local people. Up to now, the district has more than 507km of concrete rural roads.

Hong Dan district has seriously invested in cultural and social infrastructure and upgraded and expanded urban infrastructure. Ngan Dua town and Ninh Quoi A commune are classified as fifth-class urban areas. Wholesale markets like Ba Dinh, Cau Do, Ninh Thanh Loi and Ninh Quoi have been planned for investment and repairing. Retail markets in communes and hamlets have been gradually developed in trading scale to effectively support economic restructuring, gradually increase the share of industry, trade, services, and foster sustainable growth as planned.

Hong Dan district is also prioritizing investment in planning and planning management; developing the transport system to ensure synchronous connectivity; investing in important breakthrough projects associated with regional connectivity; carrying out transport projects as scheduled to transform the remote district into a gateway of the province and a bridge to link regional development.