The National Target Program on New Rural Development considered a motivation for rural youths to develop their homeland

 (VOVworld) - In the first report of our New Rural Landscape, we talked about key tasks of Vietnam’s new rural building campaign. This week, we’ll highlight the national new rural development target program.

The Vietnam Government has set specific targets in the next five years: 20% of all communes nationwide and 50% of all villages by 2020 will conform to the new rural standards. Tang Minh Loc, Director of the Rural Development and Economic Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development says 'The National Target Program on new rural development aims to improve the economy and living standards of Vietnam’s rural areas. A developed infrastructure will ensure a long-term and sustainable growth to meet requirements of industrialization and modernization in line with the national master plan. The environment should be kept clean while the knowledge of local people needs to be improved and cultural characters must be preserved and upheld. Besides, the political competence and quality of officials at the grass roots level should also be strengthened. These are 5 fundamental characters of a new rural area'.

Loc says the 5 key points of Vietnam’s new rural landscape have been detailed in a national set of 19 criteria on building new rural areas. But to achieve these objectives, the Government has drawn up 11 groups of orientations that should be fulfilled under the National Target Program. Accordingly, top priority is to do master planning that needs to be directed toward sustainability and saving resources. Second is to develop infrastructure including an electric power network, roads, schools, medical clinics, and housing. Loc says another highlight is to develop production models to increase income. Loc again: 'Regarding the National Target Program from now until 2020, we take the commune as the key because it is an administrative level having a complete apparatus to implement new rural missions. Anything relating to infrastructure must be standardized to ensure sustainable growth. The standards must be applied by ministries and relevant agencies using specific regulations. Also important is to consider farmers as key subjects, and the community internal forces as vital for rural development. All our activities are for farmers and rural people but they themselves are the persons to outline and implement the plans as well as the beneficiaries'.

Remarkably, the Government has pledged to stand side by side with farmers to help them throughout the process to implement the program with a focus on financial support, production methods, and directions for rural development.