Xuan Thanh maintains model new-style rural standards

Following the administrative consolidation, Dong Nai province now has eight communes recognized as model new-style rural development. Among them, Xuan Thanh commune, despite starting as a remote-area locality, has taken the lead in building and maintaining model new-style rural standards.

Le Dinh Ngoc, a farmer growing mangoes for export in Xuan Thanh commune. Photo: Binh Nguyen

Notably, the locality has met the criteria for digital transformation while promoting the application of science and technology in production development. As a result, the living standards of rural residents have continued to improve, gradually narrowing the gap between rural and urban areas.

Innovation in every project

Xuan Thanh commune was established through the merger of Suoi Cao commune and the former Xuan Thanh commune of Xuan Loc district. Spanning more than 122.7 square kilometers, the commune has a population exceeding 22,000. During the 2020–2025 term, local Party committees and authorities have focused on leadership, direction, and implementation, achieving significant results across political, socio-economic, national defense, and security fields.

Specifically, the total social production value of Xuan Thanh in the 2020–2025 period exceeded 13.2 trillion VND. Of this, agricultural production contributed more than 7.1 trillion VND, accounting for 53.89% of the local economic structure. The commune has prioritized agricultural development, gradually applying high technology, organic farming, and circular agriculture, while building model agricultural systems that are high-quality and sustainable.

In building a new-style rural commune, the locality has continued to mobilize all resources to invest in rural infrastructure. The road transport system has been expanded to include alleys and hamlets, with many internal roads paved with concrete. Schools meet national standards, while cultural, sports, and community learning centers at the commune and hamlet levels are modern and well-equipped. The power grid system complies with technical standards and current regulations of the electricity sector, with 100% of households connected to the national power grid. Traditional markets and public lighting systems have been systematically developed, creating favorable conditions for residents’ daily lives and business activities. Throughout this process, the role of farmers as key stakeholders has been effectively promoted.

Nguyen Thi Thanh, Secretary of the Party Cell of Gia Lao Hamlet, said that the model road section in Group 13-1 of Gia Lao Hamlet is 1.5 kilometers long, lined with flowers and greenery, and equipped with lighting systems and security cameras. She noted that while the construction of model new-style rural infrastructure has resulted in spacious, clean, and beautiful roads reaching every household, the success of building model residential areas, maintaining brightness, greenery, cleanliness, and beauty from homes to alleys, has been driven by residents themselves. Mobilizing people to achieve such a consensus requires long-term perseverance and dedication. As residents clearly see the effectiveness of the movement, they have voluntarily remained committed to maintaining a green, clean, and beautiful environment. During severe dry seasons, when ornamental plants along some roads withered, local people would replant and care for them on their own initiative.

So far, the new-style rural development program in Xuan Thanh has become a competitive movement among households in residential areas and hamlets. Several challenging criteria have been successfully implemented, such as waste segregation at the source, which is now a routine practice for households. Residential areas have created Zalo groups connected with hamlet-level police, with officials and residents actively participating. Additionally, hamlets have formed Zalo groups for members of the Women’s Union, the Elderly Association, the Youth Union, and others to strengthen community ties, encourage neighborhood solidarity, and promote residents' active involvement in all local activities.

In the coming period, Xuan Thanh commune will continue to focus on developing agricultural production in association with processing industries, while building planting area codes, product branding, and linkages for product consumption. The commune aims to gradually become a center for high-tech agriculture and deep processing, shifting from traditional agricultural production to an agricultural economic model, and ensuring sustainable development through the reorganization of production, living, and service spaces in line with local characteristics.

Sustainable agricultural development

Xuan Thanh commune not only benefits from a favorable geographical location but also possesses rich natural conditions suitable for agricultural production, livestock farming, and the development of small-scale craft industries. Most residents earn their livelihoods from agriculture, particularly through the cultivation of long-term industrial crops, such as pepper, cashew, rubber, and fruit trees. Additionally, garden-based economic models and household economies continue to expand, contributing to higher incomes and better living standards for the population.

Le Dinh Ngoc, a resident of Xuan Thanh commune, stated that his family owns more than five hectares of land, planted with mango and coffee. With nearly 20 years of experience growing export-oriented Taiwanese mango varieties, Ngoc is recognized as an outstanding farmer in the area and a pioneer in applying new production techniques, such as pruning and canopy shaping to maintain an appropriate tree height, making cultivation and harvesting easier. He also applies techniques to induce early harvesting, increase yields, and ensure mangoes meet export standards.

Mango is also a significant crop of the commune, with a successful value chain connecting production and consumption.

Bui Sy Quyen, Director of Bau Sinh Agricultural, Trade, and Service Cooperative, stated that a diverse range of perennial crops is cultivated in the commune, including coffee, rambutan, and jackfruit. Mango, however, is the commune’s flagship crop. The commune currently has more than 400 hectares of mango orchards, mainly producing export-grade Taiwanese mangoes. The cooperative alone manages 32 hectares of export-oriented mango orchards of Taiwanese varieties. It has taken the lead in establishing planting area codes and applying VietGAP standards, while also serving as a focal point in building value chains from production to consumption and linking member farmers with enterprises that purchase and distribute their products.

Xuan Thanh has also attracted numerous cooperatives and farmers to adopt advanced technology in agricultural production, resulting in significant economic benefits. In 2021, the commune had only three households piloting high-tech net-house melon cultivation. To date, this model has expanded to 27 hectares, with around 100 households participating.

Trieu Xuan Moi, a melon grower in Xuan Thanh commune, stated that local agricultural land is sandy and nutrient-poor. In the past, it was mainly used to grow acacia trees and other hardy crops with low economic returns. Since shifting to net-house melon cultivation, farmers’ incomes have increased significantly. On average, farmers can now produce four melon crops per year.

During a visit to a high-tech net-house melon cultivation model in Xuan Thanh commune, Le Thi Anh Tuyet, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated that high-tech models for growing vegetables and fruit in net houses have been widely replicated across the commune, delivering strong economic efficiency. In the coming period, the agriculture sector will organize more training programs to enhance farmers’ knowledge and skills, particularly in organic-oriented production. Priority will be given to expanding closed-loop, high-tech agricultural models, with enterprises supporting farmers from input supplies and technical guidance to output purchasing, thereby ensuring sustainable production.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by Hong Van, Minho