Dong Tam Commune: Integrating new-style rural development with sustainable agriculture

During the 2020–2025 period, Dong Tam Commune achieved the criteria of an advanced new-style rural area (NRA), with synchronous investment in rural infrastructure. Following the merger, with its favorable geographical location, Dong Tam commune plays an important role as a key trade gateway in the Northern part of Dong Nai province.

Nguyen Thi Hoang, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the People’s Committee, surveys the “Ancient Cashew Garden Space” in preparation for the Golden Cashew Festival in Dong Tam Commune. Photo: Binh Nguyen

In the post-merger phase, developing high-tech agriculture in tandem with eco-tourism based on leveraging local strengths and potential has been identified as a breakthrough task of the commune. The ultimate goal is to continuously improve both material and spiritual well-being for residents.

Exploiting agricultural strengths

Dong Tam Communes benefits from a favorable geographic position, with National Highway 14 and Provincial Road 753 providing seamless regional connectivity from the Central Highlands to Ho Chi Minh City. Alongside the new-style rural, advanced new-style rural development program, the commune has received synchronized investment in its rural transport network, including roads connecting production areas, facilitating both mobility and transportation of  agricultural products.

The education system, from preschools to secondary and high schools, has been comprehensively developed, meeting educational standards. Local healthcare infrastructure, including commune health stations and private clinics, has also been strengthened to ensure primary healthcare services for local residents. Markets and convenience stores adequately meet local trading and consumption needs.

Luan Thi Hue, Chairwoman of the Dong Tam Commune Farmers' Association, commented: With the advantage of fertile red basalt soil, developing agricultural production is the local strength with key crops such as rubber, cashew, pepper, fruit trees... The locality has formed large-scale specialized farming areas. Farmers in the commune are boldly transforming production models, applying high technology, creating high added value on the same production area. Typically, the locality was selected by the Cashew Research and Development Center under the Southern Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology to implement a pilot model of growing reishi mushrooms under cashew trees. This is a new model that brings high economic value, helping cashew farmers increase their income many times over.

With nearly 40 years of experience in cashew cultivation in Dong Tam Commune, farmer Vu Thi Mai was selected to implement the model of growing reishi mushrooms under cashew trees. She shared that the reishi mushroom beds are interspersed between two rows of cashew trees. Mushrooms grow naturally on the ground, and farmers do not spend too much effort on care. Since the model was implemented, no pests or diseases have appeared on the mushrooms. After about 3 months, farmers harvest large, uniform, and good quality mushrooms. With one planting, farmers harvest 4 batches of mushrooms/year. Meanwhile, the cashew area is maintained, while the cashew trees are also better cared for, resulting in higher yields and more sustainable development.

With its large area and population, Dong Tam  Commune has strong potential to develop a balanced economy encompassing industry, trade–services, and agriculture.

An attractive destination for investors

With its existing advantages, Dong Tam  Commune is an attractive destination for large domestic and foreign enterprises seeking investment opportunities.

With the advantages of geographical location, close proximity to raw material production areas, Gia Bao Corporation Joint Stock Company chose to invest in a large-scale, modern cashew processing factory in Dong Tam commune. Hoang Khanh Hoa, Production Director of  Gia Bao Corporation Joint Stock Company, said that the enterprise invested in a factory with modern technology and large production scale with the goal of accompanying cashew farmers, contributing to building and maintaining the brand position of cashew nuts in the international market. Recently, 6 cashew nut products processed by the enterprise have achieved the potential 5-star One Commune, One Product (OCOP) status. This is very important for the enterprise in building the brand of its products in the domestic market. The good news is that despite facing many challenges and difficulties in export activities in the first months of 2026, the enterprise still secured additional export orders to new, high-value markets such as France. Many foreign partners are increasingly interested in deeply processed products with high added value.

Nedspice Processing Vietnam Ltd. (a Dutch-invested company) has been operating in Vietnam for nearly 30 years, purchasing agricultural products from approximately 10,000 farmers in many provinces and cities across the country. The enterprise has invested in 2 large processing factories in Vietnam. Among them, the enterprise chose to invest in a processing factory in Dong Tam commune with an annual processing capacity of 25,000 tons of pepper because the locality is a transit hub for agricultural products from the Central Highlands and also a large pepper raw material area.

As scheduled, from May 21 to 23, the Dong Nai Golden Cashew Festival 2026 will be held at the Golden Cashew Tourist Farm in Dong Tam Commune. The goal is to introduce and promote the Dong Nai cashew brand. The event will feature the “Ancient Cashew Garden Space,” covering six hectares with trees aged 35–40 years, along with experiential activities such as cashew picking competitions, roasting cashew nut, folk games, and gong and drum performance competitions. The farm will also include a cashew drying yard, a simulated processing area, culinary spaces for cashew-based dishes, and a Cashew Museum showcasing artifacts and materials that highlight the history and culture of the cashew industry.

By Binh Nguyen – Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha