Dak Lua remote commune pushes for sustainable rural development

Dak Lua, one of Dong Nai Province’s most remote communes, has undergone striking changes in recent years. Rural infrastructure has improved, and local living standards continue to rise.

Melon farming in net houses, Dak Lua Commune, Dong Nai Province. Photo: Collaborator

Striving for transforming a remote commune

Dak Lua is a remote commune covering more than 415 square kilometres with a population of just over 8,200.

Yet its rural landscape has been visibly reshaped in recent years.

The National Target Programme on New-style Rural Development has been vigorously rolled out, turning into a widespread local movement with impressive results. As of late 2024, Dak Lua was officially recognised as an advanced new-style rural commune.

Phan Van Tung, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Commune People’s Council, said the economic shift has been tangible. Residents now enjoy better living standards, with higher incomes alongside richer cultural and social activities. In 2025, average per capita income reaches 84 million VND, an 8.5% increase compared with 2020. Agriculture is being geared towards intensive, technology-driven production, with crops and livestock restructured to suit local conditions. Trade, services, and handicrafts are also making remarkable strides.

Dak Lua also maintains firm public security and social stability. The grassroots campaign for public participation in safeguarding national security has received strong support from residents. Political education and Party-building remain central, while efforts to build solidarity and cultural life at the neighbourhood level have taken deeper hold.

Education, training and science and technology have been areas of active reform, with improvements in teaching quality and adequate facilities. All three of the commune’s schools now meet national standards. Authorities have prioritised healthcare, poverty reduction and job creation, helping bring the poverty rate down significantly. Ethnic and religious policies have been effectively implemented, strengthening the great national unity bloc across the community.

“These achievements are proof of strong leadership and creative governance,” Tung said. “But above all, they reflect the unity and determination of our residents from all walks of life in driving Dak Lua forward.”

“Being a remote commune, Dak Lua has worked hard to move forward,” said local grassroots leader Nguyen Ngoc Hoan, Party cell Secretary and Head of hamlet 4. “We still face many challenges, but with the commitment of Party committees, authorities, mass organisations and local residents, I’m confident Dak Lua will continue to develop into a more efficient and modern two-tier local government.”

In his directive address at the Dak Lua Commune Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term, Nguyen Minh Hoi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Dong Nai Provincial Party Committee and Head of the Provincial Party Committee’s Internal Affairs Commission, emphasized that the commune should focus on mobilizing more resources for development, particularly by steering its economy toward high-tech agriculture that builds on local advantages and natural resources. He also highlighted the need to make effective use of Dak Lua’s unique characteristics such as its vast agricultural land, proximity to Cat Tien National Park and the Dong Nai River, and its rich, diverse indigenous culture in order to create new momentum for agriculture and tourism in the years ahead.

Promoting high-tech agricultural models

Building on recent achievements, the Party Committee of Dak Lua Commune has set out a five-year development plan. The commune will mobilize all available resources to accelerate the restructuring of crops and livestock toward higher productivity, quality, and efficiency. At the same time, it will safeguard political security and social order, maintain its status as an “advanced new rural commune,” and work toward becoming a modern, sustainable rural community.

Phan Van Tung, Party Committee Secretary and Chairman of the Dak Lua Commune People’s Council, explained: “We’re focusing on developing high-tech agricultural models, particularly applying science and technology to improve rice yields, since rice remains one of our key crops. At the same time, we’ll strengthen collective economic models, boost trade promotion, and actively seek stable markets for local agricultural strengths and OCOP (One Commune One Product) products.”

Bui Xuan Bay, a farmer in Hamlet 3 of Dak Lua commune, shared: “Over the past two years, my family has been growing melons in greenhouses with drip irrigation system and applying scientific methods to increase productivity. The model has already brought us considerable economic benefits, since our garden now produces three to four harvests each year, which are sold not only in local markets but also in Ho Chi Minh City. In the future, I hope the commune authorities will continue to support us so that we can expand market access and build a stronger brand for Dak Lua’s high-tech agricultural products.”

By: Hai Quan

Translated by: Hung Cat - Thu Ha