Dong Nai: Pilot model on new-style rural development for nationwide replication

A working delegation from the Central Coordination Office for National Target Programs under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment recently inspected and assessed the implementation of new-style rural development and sustainable poverty reduction in Dong Nai City for the 2026–2030 period.

The working delegation from the Central Coordination Office for National Target Programs under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment visits a safe, high-yield durian-growing model in Ta Lai Commune. Photo: Binh Nguyen

According to Tran Nhat Lam, Deputy Director of the Central Coordination Office for New-style Rural Area Development, Head of the delegation, Dong Nai has continued to achieve impressive results in building new-style rural areas during the 2026–2030 period. The locality is expected to remain an exemplary model for replication nationwide.

Building on achievements

Dong Nai is among the country’s leading localities in early issuing a set of criteria for new-style rural communes in Dong Nai City for 2026–2030, as well as resolutions on implementing the new-style rural development. However, its implementation of the new-style rural development program for the 2026-2030 period faces a number of difficulties and challenges. Income gaps between localities remain relatively large, particularly as incomes in some mountainous, border and ethnic-minority areas remain low. Many criteria and targets under the new-style rural development framework are also considerably higher than those of the previous period.

Dinh Quan is one of six communes in Dong Nai City striving to meet the 2026–2030 new-style rural standards in 2026. So far, the commune has completed supporting documentation and submitted a proposal to city departments and agencies for appraisal, with 42 of 47 targets completed.

By 2030, Dong Nai City aims to raise average per capita income in rural areas to VND120 million per year with no extremely disadvantaged communes and villages left.

Nguyen Cao Cuong, Secretary of the Dinh Quan Commune Party Committee, Chairman of the Commune People’s Council, said the commune has completed 42 of the 47 targets. The remaining targets have basically been met, with supporting documentation being finalized for recognition as a new-style rural commune in 2026. The locality’s advantage lies in the foundation built during the previous new-style rural development program. The former Dinh Quan District had achieved advanced new-style rural  status, while several communes had achieved model new-style rural  status and the former Dinh Quan townlet had been recognized as a Class-3 urban area. Dinh Quan is now reviewing the remaining criteria, particularly average per capita income, with the goal of reaching a two-digit growth rate. The commune aims to achieve modern new-style rural status by the end of the current term.

Ta Lai Commune aims to meet the new-style rural criteria in 2027. The locality has been actively implementing the program and has achieved positive results. It has so far met 32 of the 47 criteria, while work is ongoing to meet several remaining targets. 

Trinh Van Luan, Secretary of the Ta Lai Commune Party Committee, Chairman of the Commune People’s Council, said the 2026–2030 new-style rural criteria are more streamlined but more demanding, with greater changes compared with the previous set of criteria. Ta Lai used to be a disadvantaged commune in former Dong Nai Province, but local authorities have paid close attention to and taken decisive action in directing and implementing the new-style rural development program. The commune will continue to carefully review all completed and outstanding targets, with the goal of meeting its set targets.

Striving to remain a standard-bearer

In 2026, Dong Nai aims to have six communes meet the 2026–2030 new-style rural standards. All six communes  have basically achieved their set targets and are now finalizing supporting documentation for recognition as new-style rural communes.   By 2030, Dong Nai aims for 100% of its communes to meet new-style rural standards, with 10% achieving modern new-style rural status associated with challenging goals such as having no poor households left under multidimensional poverty standards and continuously increasing average incomes among rural residents.

The working delegation from the Central Coordination Office for National Target Programs under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment visits Phu Thinh Kindergarten, a model school in Ta Lai Commune. Photo: Binh Nguyen

Commenting on Dong Nai City’s new-style rural development results, To Thuy Nga, Head of the New-style Rural Development Division under the Central Coordination Office for National Target Programs, said Dong Nai has an advantage in implementing the new-style rural development because it can build on the results achieved during the previous period. A survey at Ta Lai, a disadvantaged commune in Dong Nai City, showed that its results were better than the national average, she said.

According to Nga, the goals set for the new phase of new-style rural development present numerous challenges and require strong determination and decisive action. Dong Nai’s 2026–2030 new-style rural criteria include a number of targets that are higher than the national standards. The city therefore needs to pay particular attention to implementing several targets and criteria, including increasing average per capita income in rural areas. For communes that have already achieved relatively high income levels, making further increases will be more challenging. The target for access to clean water in Dong Nai’s rural areas is also higher than the national average. Nga expressed hope that the locality would continue its determination and efforts to achieve its goals and remain an exemplary model for replication nationwide.

Tran Nhat Lam, Deputy Director of the Central Coordination Office for New-style rural development, Head of the working delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s Central Coordination Office for National target programs, said Dong Nai had continued to achieve impressive results in new-style rural  development, significantly exceeding the national average. He called for special attention to be paid to implementation. The first communes in Dong Nai to meet new-style rural and modern new-style rural criteria will serve as pilot models, providing lessons for localities nationwide on approaches to implementation and direction for broader replication.

By Binh Nguyen - Translated by Mai Nga, Thu Ha