Markets are rare in the highlands.

Markets, places for exchanging goods, are one of the criteria in the National Target Program for building new rural areas, but in mountainous communes, markets are very rare.

Binh Thuan province has a diverse topography, encompassing both mountainous and coastal plains. The mountainous areas, also known as the highlands, are primarily inhabited by ethnic minorities, while the coastal plains are home to a diverse population across many wards and communes. The plains have convenient transportation and a high population density. The highlands, however, are characterized by rugged hills and mountains, difficult road access, and sparsely populated areas, resulting in fewer markets and commercial centers for trade.

Typical examples include the highlands of Bac Binh, Tuy Phong, Ham Thuan Nam, and Ham Thuan Bac districts, with communes such as Phan Son, Phan Lam, Phan Dung, My Thanh, Dong Tien, La Da, and Dong Giang… The lives of the people here mainly revolve around forestry, farming, and livestock raising. Their products are sold to traders and mountain service centers who come to collect them directly from the farmers, or they receive them directly from the farmers themselves. In addition, people buy and sell through mobile stalls or grocery stores.

In recent years, the National Target Program on New Rural Development has established two markets in Da Mi and Dong Tien, but most other communes still lack them. Mr. Xi Mien, Chairman of the People's Committee of La Da commune, one of the communes without a market, stated: According to the National Target Program, to achieve the standard of a new rural commune, it must meet criteria including electricity, roads, schools, health stations, a modern and well-equipped market, and a prosperous life for the people… But La Da still lacks many criteria, including criterion number 7, which is a market. “Currently, in the district's plan to implement the National Target Program, a market will be established on the land of the commune police station. The commune People's Committee office will be moved to another location, making way for the commune police to operate… To date, there are still many obstacles related to land, so the district has not yet implemented the market construction,” Mr. Xi Mien added.

Most of the highland communes do not have markets.

Dong Giang commune, near La Da, is also striving to achieve the new rural development goals. The commune currently has land available for building a market, but is awaiting approval from higher authorities. Dong Giang is now well-known to people from all over Vietnam, and Binh Thuan in particular, since the establishment of the Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee Base historical site. This is also a factor to consider when building a market in this area. Mr. Nguyen Van Tan, Head of the Ethnic Affairs Department of Ham Thuan Bac district, said: “The district plans to build markets in Dong Giang and La Da, but we are currently considering… We may build a commercial center in Dong Giang commune instead of a market, allowing communes to gather there to showcase their products… This is in line with the context of the Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee Base historical site attracting many tourists. Instead of building a scattered market, we will focus on investing in road infrastructure to facilitate the transportation of agricultural products, especially in La Da where transportation infrastructure is still very difficult.”

Similarly, in other sparsely populated, scattered communes, the economy is largely self-sufficient. Each household produces its own food to meet its consumption needs. They produce everything themselves, raising livestock and cultivating crops, so the demand and capacity for trading goods are limited (apart from the need to buy some essential items like gasoline, clothing, and salt...). Therefore, people do not have a need to go to the market frequently, and the construction of markets must be carefully planned. Consequently, markets are very rare in the highlands, making it difficult to achieve the criteria for new rural development. In the future, relevant authorities need to continue researching the unique characteristics of the highlands to develop a market network that suits the needs. However, it is also necessary to avoid situations where markets are built but remain unused, as is the case with some markets in the lowlands; or markets that are built but not fully utilized, leading to waste.

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