By the end of 2023, Tho Xuan district had 14/26 communes meeting advanced NTM standards (reaching a rate of 53.8%), 2 communes and 18 villages meeting model NTM standards; completing 9/9 criteria for advanced NTM districts. In recognition of the determination, efforts and continuous efforts of the Party Committee, government and people of Tho Xuan district in implementing the movement of joining hands to build new rural areas, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 1339/QD-TTg dated November 6, 2024 recognizing the district as meeting advanced NTM standards in 2023. Accordingly, Tho Xuan became the first district in Thanh Hoa province and the North Central region to be recognized with this title.

A corner of Tho Xuan district town. Photo: pV

Looking back at the "highlights"

Tho Xuan - a land of "spiritual land and talented people", with a long history, culture, and revolution, is the land of the two glorious dynasties of Tien Le and Hau Le, making Tho Xuan the sacred cradle of Thanh land, a place known to many Vietnamese people with the potential for many types of cultural, historical, and spiritual tourism, and is also a district with an important strategic position in socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security of the province and the region.

Promoting the rich tradition of the homeland, at the same time deeply engrave Uncle Ho's teaching "Thanh Hoa province must become a model province", especially after accepting the policy of the Party, the State, and the province on implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Development, with the will and determination of "unity, creativity, innovation, development", the Party Committee, the government and the people in the district have united, unanimously with the spirit, high determination and dynamic, creative ways of doing things, creating achievements in New Rural Development. The appearance of the new rural areas of Tho Xuan district today has improved day by day, the rural infrastructure system has been invested synchronously, increasingly improved; the economic structure has shifted in the right direction; the material and spiritual life of the people has been gradually improved.

Remembering the early days of implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Development, Tho Xuan encountered many difficulties. At the time of implementation, the district only achieved an average of 5.6 criteria/commune. Although it is a key district in agricultural production of the province, agricultural production is still scattered and fragmented. The processing industry has not developed, the market for product consumption is still difficult. Rural industries and services have not developed, and the labor force is low-skilled. A number of cadres, party members, and people are not fully aware of the viewpoints and goals of New Rural Development, and still have the mindset of being afraid of difficulties, waiting, and relying; leadership and direction are not focused and determined...

Imbued with the viewpoint: New Rural Development is a central and continuous task of the entire political system, a broad movement of all classes of people, attracting resources from all walks of life to participate, in which the Party Committee and the Government have the role of creating and organizing implementation, the people are both beneficiaries and subjects, the Party Committee and the Government of Tho Xuan district have focused on leading, directing, organizing and implementing proactively, comprehensively, methodically, with a roadmap and appropriate and effective solutions.

To make the goal "sweet fruit"

To continue to maintain and improve the quality of the NTM criteria, the 27th Tho Xuan District Party Congress, term 2020-2025, has set the goal: Focus on building Tho Xuan district into an advanced NTM district before 2024 in the direction of comprehensive and sustainable development. Strive to build a commune that meets advanced NTM standards, a model NTM associated with ward criteria to become a town before 2030.

To effectively implement the set goals, the district has strengthened the Steering Committee for New Rural Development, focused on leadership, direction, drastic and synchronous implementation of solutions to improve the quality of New Rural criteria. At the same time, review the current situation of agriculture, farmers and rural areas. Thereby, have the most comprehensive view to orient the work of planning and formulating New Rural projects. In addition, the Standing Committee of the District Party Committee, the People's Committee, and the Steering Committee for New Rural Development have issued many documents to serve the direction work, such as: Resolution No. 05-NQ/HU dated March 28, 2013 on New Rural Development in Tho Xuan district for the period 2013-2020, with a vision to 2025; Project No. 3293/DA-UBND dated December 14, 2021 on building advanced new-style rural communes, model new-style rural communes, model new-style rural villages and building OCOP products for the period 2022-2025... From there, focus on unified, synchronous and drastic direction with many flexible and creative policies, solutions and measures.

In the process of leadership, direction and implementation, the principle of "easy to do first, difficult to do later" and specific programs and plans of organizations in the political system have assigned responsibilities to collectives and individuals, especially the responsibilities of the leaders in a specific, clear, non-overlapping manner. At the same time, focus on issuing mechanisms and policies to stimulate demand and create motivation for development, thereby contributing significantly to encouraging and stimulating communes to actively promote production, improve people's lives, improve rural infrastructure, build a roadmap as well as accelerate the implementation of the advanced new rural construction program.

From 2011 to 2023, the whole district mobilized over 18,308 billion VND for new rural construction. Since then, the district has invested in the criteria groups of advanced new rural construction, focusing on 2 groups of criteria: building economic and social infrastructure and developing production. By the end of 2023, the growth rate of the district's production value in 2023 reached 6.3%. The economic structure of the agricultural, forestry and fishery sector accounts for 18.6%; the industry and construction sector accounts for 54.2%; the service - trade sector accounts for 27.2%. The scale of production value at actual prices reached 21,596 billion VND (1.8 times higher than in 2019).

Regarding agriculture, the district has focused on leading and directing agricultural development towards large-scale commodity production, applying high technology according to the value chain. Livestock continues to develop towards concentrated, large-scale livestock farming, ensuring biosafety of enterprises, farms, and households. Industry and construction continue to maintain and develop, expanding production scale. By 2023, the district has over 150 enterprises in the industrial sector; the value of industrial and construction production in 2023 reached 11,696 billion VND, 2.2 times higher than in 2019. This is the industry that accounts for a large proportion of production value in the district's economy, attracting over 22,000 workers, 2.7 times higher than in 2019. Traditional occupations and craft villages are increasingly diverse, contributing to shifting the labor structure, creating jobs, and increasing income for people.

Regarding capital mobilization for development investment in 2023, it will reach 6,001 billion VND, 1.3 times higher than in 2019. Up to now, 9 projects have been approved for investment in the district with a total registered capital of 1,024.2 billion VND. Services and trade have improved a lot, with the average production value in 2023 reaching 5,876 billion VND, 1.6 times higher than in 2019.

Culture and society continued to have progressive changes, spearhead education and high-performance sports remained in the leading group of the province; social security was ensured; national defense and security were maintained.

It can be affirmed that the outstanding results achieved after the implementation of the advanced NTM have changed the face of Tho Xuan countryside. This is specifically demonstrated by the fact that the material and spiritual life of the people is increasingly improved when the average income per capita in 2023 reached 63.86 million VND, 1.5 times higher than in 2019. Poverty reduction work has achieved positive results, the poverty rate of the whole district decreased to 1.47%, down 0.32% compared to 2019. 100% of households use hygienic water and the rate of households using centralized clean water increased by 33.32% compared to 2019. The rate of people participating in health insurance reached 97%, up 5.5% compared to 2019.

Looking back on the past, the Party Committee, government and people of Tho Xuan district are confident with the achievements they have made. Receiving the Decision recognizing the district as meeting the advanced NTM standards is an honor and pride for the Party Committee, government and people of Tho Xuan district; the result of the determination of the leadership and direction of the Provincial Party Committee, People's Council and People's Committee; the consensus and strong determination of the entire political system, along with the joint response of the people in the district.

Continue the "revolution without end"

Determining that building new rural areas and advanced new rural areas is always a "revolution" without an end point, because its core values ​​are to improve the material and spiritual life of the people, truly arouse internal strength and promote the strength of the entire political system, turning each rural area into a peaceful, innovative and developed land. In the journey for the next stage, Tho Xuan district has set specific goals: Continuing to build sustainable new rural areas, improving the quality of advanced new rural district criteria; striving to complete 26/26 communes meeting advanced new rural standards, 6 model new rural communes associated with ward criteria. Striving to become a town before 2030, an important driving force, contributing to making Thanh Hoa a new growth pole in the North of the country.

Model of growing cantaloupe in a greenhouse of farmers in Bac Luong commune Photo: PV

To realize the above goals, Tho Xuan district continues to propose key solutions, including: Continuing to strengthen the leadership, direction and administration of Party committees and authorities at all levels, mobilizing unions and socio-political organizations to participate effectively in implementing the advanced new rural construction program and model new rural areas. Strongly promoting the potential and advantages for Tho Xuan district to develop the economy quickly and sustainably, attract labor and increase the income of people in the district. Focus on promoting the restructuring of the agricultural sector and developing production chains. Effectively implementing digital transformation for socio-economic development. Deploying mechanisms and policies to implement the advanced new rural construction program effectively and sustainably.

These are long-term goals and orientations. In the immediate future and in 2025, the whole district aims to strive to achieve an average income per capita of over 74 million VND/year. The total average annual food output remains at 115,500 tons. The value of products per hectare of cultivated land and aquaculture reaches 160 million VND or more. The total mobilized development investment capital reaches 6,500 billion VND. The annual budget revenue growth rate is 15%. Two more communes meet advanced NTM standards, two communes meet model NTM standards. The number of OCOP products ranked by 2025, 5 products at the provincial level, 45 products or more at the district level. There are 18 communes meeting the ward infrastructure criteria according to Resolution No. 1211/2016/UBTVQH13.

To effectively implement the set goals, the Party Committee, government and people of Tho Xuan district will continue to promote the achievements, strengthen solidarity and unity, actively propagate and mobilize people to consolidate and improve the quality of the criteria of advanced NTM district, effective production models to increase people's income, build Tho Xuan increasingly rich, beautiful and civilized, contributing significantly to the development of agriculture, farmers and rural areas of the district.

Le Dinh Hai

Provincial Party Committee Member, District Party Committee Secretary, Chairman of District People's Council