Vinh Hoa, a new journey for a heroic commune.

The morning in Vinh Hoa begins with the sound of shrimp-laden boats running along the Cai Lon River and on the canals, mingling with the noise of motorbikes on the concrete roads. A brief rain shower has passed, leaving water still clinging to the mangrove trees that followed the rising tide. Our team of reporters went on a field trip, visiting Nha Ngang, passing through Xeo Can, following the paths of places deeply etched in history books.

Rice fields in Vinh Hoa commune. Photo: THUY TIEN

The returnee and his footsteps on the fields of his homeland.

I was born in Vinh Hoa, then moved to Rach Gia with my parents for study and work. My childhood was filled with canals, waterways, coconut groves, and rice paddies… then life swept me away, and sometimes my hometown only remains in my memories. This time, returning as a reporter, I was both working and rediscovering myself in my old homeland. Accompanying the team was Mr. Phan Quang Trung, Deputy Head of the Culture and Social Affairs Department of Vinh Hoa commune, also a native of the area. Before the commune merger, he worked at the Education and Training Department of U Minh Thuong district, and his wife is a teacher. Not relying on their salaries, starting with a few acres of land, the couple chose an economic model suitable to the soil to develop, balancing their professional work with their family's finances. Mr. Trung's story opened a day of thought-provoking fieldwork.

Vinh Hoa was once a land "known by name but unseen by face," associated with place names like San Gach, Cay Bang, Lot 12, Thay Quon, Xep Ba Tau, Xeo Ke, Xeo Can… and the battles of yesteryear. War left many wounds, and the people lived in conditions of inadequate infrastructure, clinging to rice paddies and sugarcane fields amidst market uncertainties and weather conditions. After the merger, from the four familiar names of the old Vinh Hoa, Thanh Yen A, Hoa Chanh, and Thanh Yen, Vinh Hoa is now a new commune-level administrative unit of the province, covering over 146 ^km² , with 29 hamlets, 227 self-governing people's groups, and over 51,000 inhabitants, including Kinh, Khmer, Hoa, and other ethnic groups living along the canals and waterways. Currently, the poverty rate in the commune is over 3%, and the near-poverty rate is over 2%. Behind these numbers lies the journey of a rural area that once suffered much loss.

Farmers in Vinh Trung hamlet, Vinh Hoa commune, harvest shrimp and weigh them for traders. Photo: VIET TIEN

I met Mr. Van Cong Thanh at Nha Ngang in Vinh Tan hamlet at midday, amidst the shrimp ponds along the Cai Lon River. 47 years old, a former teacher, his wife, Ms. Hoang Thi Thoa, is a teacher at Hoa Chanh 1 Primary School. Having taught for many years, he and his wife are intimately familiar with the families of their students, the rhythm of the tides, the dry and saline seasons. Then he decided to quit teaching and buy nearly 4 acres of land along the river to raise crabs, shrimp, and tilapia… Pointing to his newly built ponds, the drainage pipes still smelling of cement, he smiled gently: “I’m going slow but steady… let’s just try it and see.” Before that, outside of teaching hours, he installed software and repaired computers for offices, schools, and game shops. After quitting teaching, he learned to drive, worked as a taxi driver, and then realized the significant demand for transportation, so he invested in a transportation service. Currently, he owns one 16-seater, two 7-seater, and one 4-seater vehicle serving people going to parties, sightseeing, and officials and teachers going to training and work. From someone living on a government salary, he became the owner of an integrated service and agriculture business model in an area once considered unsuitable for farming, forging a new path for himself in his hometown.

On another alluvial plain along the Cai Lon River, Ms. Tran Ngoc Bich (43 years old), a teacher at Hoa Chanh 1 Primary School, also chose a similar path. Seeing the potential of this land, she rented 3 acres of riverside land to implement a model of raising shrimp, snakehead fish, and tilapia. “I’ve only been raising them for almost two months, I haven’t harvested them yet, but the water conditions and the fish fry seem suitable, I hope for a good harvest,” Ms. Bich said as she fed the fish with us. She recounted her accumulated capital, her learning from friends, and her experiences living and breathing the river since buying the land and boldly investing in this new economic model.

Watching Mr. Thanh, Ms. Thoa, Ms. Bich, and Mr. Trung and his wife wading through the fields after class, tending to their shrimp ponds and rice paddies, I saw a generation of young, educated farmers in Vinh Hoa finding their own path. They cling to their familiar land, rely on government support, and secure loans to reorganize production, accepting risks in exchange for opportunities to improve their lives. Their stories are filled with detailed calculations of seasons, costs, and inputs and outputs, adding a vibrant touch to the changing landscape of the commune. Vinh Hoa is not just transforming on the administrative map anymore; it's changing from the mindset and practices of its people.

Farmers in Vinh Trung hamlet, Vinh Hoa commune, harvest shrimp. Photo: VIET TIEN

A picture of the new rural landscape in the former base area.

Behind these specific individual circumstances lies a changing broader picture. After the merger, Vinh Hoa has expanded in area, opening up more development potential. From the shrimp-rice farming areas along the Cai Lon River, to the areas with two rice crops combined with other crops, to the mangrove swamps linked to tourism ... everything is transforming. The average per capita income of the commune is now around 70 million VND/year, significantly higher than before. Rural roads, concrete bridges connecting hamlets, along with national and provincial roads passing through the area, make the movement of agricultural products and goods much more convenient than before.

Sitting in the meeting hall, listening to the commune leaders introduce the potential and advantages, I gained a clearer picture of Vinh Hoa's journey towards development through the new rural development movement. Before the merger, three communes had already achieved the new rural development standard, and one had achieved the advanced new rural development standard. Upon establishing the new commune, the steering committee was restructured, criteria were reviewed according to the new standards, planning was adjusted, infrastructure was invested in, production was reorganized, and people's lives were improved. In the last five years, the total value of products has exceeded 9,300 billion VND (comparative price), with agriculture, forestry, and fisheries playing a crucial role. The shrimp-rice farming area of ​​over 4,600 hectares is a highlight, with a model of one shrimp crop followed by one rice crop, intercropping with freshwater prawns, whiteleg shrimp, crabs, and fish. Many households participate in organic shrimp-rice farming and VietGAP certification, with some areas earning over 100 million VND/hectare/year.

The two-crop rice growing area in Vinh Hoa is strongly shifting towards high-quality rice, participating in the 1 million hectare project, applying alternating wet-dry irrigation techniques, and the "1 must, 5 reductions" model. The area along the Cai Lon River is developing improved shrimp-rice and aquaculture models while preserving the dark green nipa palm fronds to conserve the ecosystem, and is considering community tourism linked to the former revolutionary base. The entire commune currently has 9 cooperatives and 35 cooperative groups specializing in high-quality rice, shrimp-rice farming, and people's credit, along with 5 products achieving OCOP 3-star certification (fish sauce, dried shrimp, sun-dried shrimp), creating a mark and bringing Vinh Hoa's agricultural products to the market with clear branding and traceability.

Ms. Tran Ngoc Bich, residing in Vinh Hoa commune, is experimenting with a fish farming model along the Cai Lon River. Photo: THUY TIEN

However, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee Truong Trong The and Chairman of the People's Committee of Vinh Hoa commune Lai An Nhan shared that Vinh Hoa still has much to address. Some criteria for new rural development have been met but are not yet stable; infrastructure still needs further investment in essential roads and facilities; agricultural production remains fragmented; and the application of science, technology, and digital transformation is not yet as desired. In ethnic minority areas, living standards and educational levels still vary; while social resources for new rural development have been mobilized, compared to the potential of this vast land, there is still much room for further mobilization, connection, and development.

Reports may talk a lot about planning, mechanisms, and policies, but out in the fields, along new roads, shrimp farms, and orchards, the core issue remains the people. They level the land, donate land to open roads, and contribute to building bridges, cultural centers, schools, and health stations. People like Mr. Thanh, Ms. Thoa, Ms. Bich, and Mr. and Mrs. Trung are examples of the new generation of dynamic farmers, officials, and teachers who dare to borrow capital, dare to cooperate, and dare to enter the commodity production chain instead of clinging to old farming methods.

In the afternoon, bidding farewell to Vinh Hoa, the car traveled along the inter-hamlet road, flanked by rice fields, shrimp ponds, and houses, with rows of water coconut trees along the Cai Lon River in the distance. Childhood memories blended with the perspective of a journalist, and I reflected on the long journey of this heroic commune: from bombs and hardship to a new rural area, and then towards a modern new rural area. Income figures, production values, and investment capital will continue to change, but most valuable is the spirit of self-reliance, self-improvement, and the proactive approach of the Party committee, government, and people that is being strongly fostered.

VIET TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/vinh-hoa-hanh-trinh-moi-cua-mot-xa-anh-hung-a467358.html