Dong Thap - A solid foundation for agricultural development

The newly established Dong Thap province is based on the merger of the former Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces, with great advantages in agricultural and rural development in the future.

The fact that both Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces have been recognized by the Prime Minister as having completed the task of building new rural areas has created a resonance in terms of achievements, internal strength and development aspirations. These results have helped Dong Thap province open up a sustainable and in-depth direction in building and developing agriculture and rural areas.

A STRONG FOUNDATION

When the National Target Program on New Rural Development began to be implemented, both Tien Giang and Dong Thap were previously in the group of provinces with a low starting point. However, from that reality, the two localities have had effective solutions, promoting internal strength, arousing the spirit of self-reliance and the aspiration of the people.

Dong Thap province has a complete rural infrastructure system based on the foundation of building new rural areas of Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces before.

Dong Thap builds new rural areas with the mindset of “companionship - creation”, putting farmers at the center and using creativity as the driving force. Tien Giang promotes restructuring the agricultural sector, developing the cooperative system, applying science and technology and strengthening regional linkages.

By 2024, Dong Thap province will have 100% of its communes meeting NTM standards. Thap Muoi and Cao Lanh districts will be recognized as meeting advanced NTM standards. The average income in rural areas will reach VND68,498 million/person/year, among the top in the region. The poverty rate will decrease to 1.08%.

Tien Giang province previously had equally impressive results with 100% of communes meeting NTM standards, 11/11 districts, towns and cities recognized as completing the task of building NTM, and 2 districts of Cho Gao and Go Cong Dong recognized as meeting advanced NTM standards.

The average income of rural people is about 76.4 million VND/person/year, 4.08 times higher than in 2010. By the end of 2024, the poverty rate in the province has decreased sharply, to about 0.79%. The rural transport system has been upgraded synchronously, and the material and spiritual life of the people has improved significantly.

MAINTAINING NTM CRITERIA

From July 1, 2025, the new Dong Thap province will officially come into operation on the basis of merging all the boundaries, population, infrastructure and resources of the two provinces of Tien Giang and Dong Thap. The new Dong Thap province has a natural area of 5,938.7 km² and a population of 3,397,200 people.

Not only is Dong Thap province one of the largest localities in the Mekong Delta, it also has a deep NTM foundation inherited from the previous provinces of Tien Giang and Dong Thap.

Speaking at the Ceremony to Announce the Prime Minister's Decision recognizing Dong Thap province (old) as having completed the task of building a new rural area on June 29, comrade Le Minh Hoan, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, said that the destination of building a new rural area in the coming time is a smart countryside - where people can access new knowledge and apply technology in a way that is within their capacity, budget, and habit.

A cooperative that not only sells products, but also knows how to tell product stories. A place where rural students can learn STEM, learn AI like their city friends, but still retain their hometown accent.

A happy countryside is a place where the elderly are not lonely, the young do not have to leave their hometowns, the poor are not left behind, and gender equality is in every home and office.

A place that not only has “standard facilities”, but also has warm neighborly feelings. A place where policies are not on paper, but enter the lives of every family, every field…

The new Dong Thap province not only inherits infrastructure and resources, but also receives effective solutions and experience in building new rural areas suitable to the characteristics of each locality, along with a rich agricultural - cultural - social ecosystem stretching from the headwaters of the Tien River to the sea of Go Cong.

Dong Thap province has a standard infrastructure system with smooth traffic, 100% of communes have car roads to the center, 100% of commune roads are paved. Electricity, domestic water, health care, education and public administrative services all meet standards. The entire commune has schools and health stations that meet national standards; over 97% of people have health insurance cards. Basic residential housing meets standards according to regulations, rural life is improved in all aspects.

In the first 6 months of 2025, the whole province recorded many important indicators that were maintained or exceeded the plan, including: The rate of rural households using hygienic water reached 100% (of which 94.99% of households used clean water); the poverty rate decreased to 0.81%.

The collection of domestic solid waste reached 97.15%, contributing to improving the quality of life. The production value of the agricultural, forestry and fishery sector increased by 3.94%; the area of fruit trees and aquatic products continued to expand. The province also promoted the OCOP Program with 942 certified products, many of which have the potential to reach the international market.

GREAT POTENTIAL FOR AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT

After the merger, the agricultural economy continues to be the core advantage of Dong Thap province. In the first 6 months of 2025, the rice area is estimated to reach 615,000 hectares, with an output of over 4 million tons; the fruit tree area is 133,370 hectares, with an output of 1.35 million tons; the aquaculture area is 17,174 hectares, with an output of 453,750 tons. The whole province has 176 modern livestock and poultry farms, contributing to improving quality and competitiveness.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Dong Thap province, the growth rate (GRDP) of the agriculture - forestry - fishery sector in the first 6 months of 2025 of the province increased by 3.94% (in the same period last year, it increased by 3.16%). The production value of the agriculture - forestry - fishery sector reached over 50,679 billion VND, an increase of 4.03% over the same period last year.

One of the highlights is that the whole province has 2,433 established growing area codes with a total area of 217,589 hectares; 541 key farming facilities have been granted certificates (pond codes) with an area of over 1,965 hectares of water surface, accounting for 45.8% of the farming water surface area.

Up to now, the whole province has more than 12,060 hectares of crops, over 2,054 million livestock and poultry certified for GAP and organic production...

At the same time, the collective economy in the province continues to be focused on strengthening and developing in a modern and effective direction. The province continues to promote the work of connecting and supporting the subjects in the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program.

Up to now, the whole province has 942 OCOP products of 436 entities, including: 743 3-star products, 189 4-star products, 6 potential 5-star products and 3 5-star products.

This shows a positive change in the quality and brand value of local products…

In particular, many production areas have been granted international quality certificates such as VietGAP, GlobalGAP, ASC, BAP and are continuing to expand, affirming the position of Dong Thap agricultural products in the domestic and international markets. This will be a great potential for Dong Thap province to continue developing its agricultural economy in the future.

Technology and digital transformation play a key role in the development orientation of Dong Thap's agriculture. Solutions such as smart pest monitoring, product traceability and software applications in agricultural production and management have been widely deployed. All aim to build a sustainable, smart, circular and climate-resilient agriculture, ensuring a stable future for Dong Thap's agriculture sector.

However, what makes the difference in rural development in Dong Thap province is not just the numbers. It is the new thinking that has been formed and inherited from the process of building new rural areas in Tien Giang and Dong Thap provinces - where the countryside is not only a production area but also a desirable living space.

NTM is no longer a movement concept, but has become a behavioral culture - where people, communities and governments together create happiness. All of these things show that Dong Thap not only inherits the NTM achievements of the two previous localities, but is also laying the foundation for a new stage of agricultural and rural development in a more modern, effective and extensive direction.

C.WIN

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/kinh-te/202507/dong-thap-nen-tang-vung-chac-phat-trien-nong-nghiep-1046936/