Towards the 40th anniversary of Tuy Phong district re-establishment (June 1, 1983)

Highland prosperity

Phan Dung is a highland commune with a large number of Raglai people living in difficult circumstances, so it has always received the attention of the Party and the State. Although it is only about 30 km from the district center, in the past, the roads were very difficult to travel. Since the State invested in asphalt roads, high-voltage electricity for lighting, water for production, etc., the appearance of the countryside has changed. Along with infrastructure investment, the province and district also regularly train and transfer farming and livestock techniques to help people change their production habits. Up to now, the highland people of Phan Dung not only grow wet rice on an area of over 300 hectares with effective productivity, some households, thanks to the application of technical advances, have rice productivity that keeps up with the plains, reaching 7 tons/ha. The Raglai people here also take advantage of the grassland area to raise cattle, goats, etc. to develop short-term crops, fruit trees such as jackfruit, grapefruit, custard apple, and buy machinery, plows, and harvesters to serve production. Mr. Mang Khoa - a resident of Phan Dung commune said: "Before, it was very difficult to grow rice by hand, but now we have plows, harrows, and harvest rice by machines. The people also received investment from the Provincial Mountain Service Center in seeds and fertilizers for growing rice on an area of about 63 hectares with 92 participating households. In addition to production, many households also contract to protect forests to increase their income. If we work hard, we will no longer lack food and clothing like before."

In the rice production season in Phan Dung

“Compared to before, in production, ethnic minorities in highland communes have known how to apply technical advances to increase the productivity of crops and develop household economies. Not only ethnic minorities in lowland communes such as Phu Lac and Vinh Hao have a fairly high rice yield of 6-7 tons/ha, with some households achieving 8 tons/ha, even in the most remote highland communes such as Phan Dung and Phong Phu, production efficiency has been improved from farming techniques to increased output. Many households have also purchased televisions and motorbikes to serve their lives, smartphones and computers connected to the internet are increasingly used…” - Mr. Ly Thai Duyen, a specialist in charge of the district’s Ethnic Affairs Department, shared.

Tuy Phong district has 10 ethnic groups living together, of which ethnic minorities with about 8,994 people, accounting for 6.12% of the district's population (146,904 people) live mainly in 4 localities: Phan Dung, Phong Phu, Phu Lac and Vinh Hao. The district leaders pay special attention to investing in socio-economic development in mountainous areas and ethnic minority areas. Right from the first years of re-establishment, the district has focused on investing in a number of works serving people's livelihoods, socio-economics, contributing to production and life for ethnic minorities. Then the production support programs under programs 134, 135; forest protection contracts, production land allocation; Phan Dung commune cadre and community training project, veterinary training... continued to be implemented with good results. Thanks to that, agricultural production is stable and developing quite well, the life of ethnic minorities is clearly improved; People's trust in the Party and State continues to increase.

Traffic route connecting Phan Dung with National Highway 1A

Schools in Phan Dung are well invested.

Material and spiritual life improved

In addition to the district's attention, there is also special support from the Central and the province, so the people's livelihood, economy and society in the ethnic minority areas continue to develop. In particular, the road from National Highway 1A - Phan Dung has been invested in a wide asphalt road connecting the district center to the highland commune of Phan Dung - the most difficult place in the district. The national grid, domestic water supply system, postal and telecommunication infrastructure are everywhere... In particular, the agricultural service store in Phan Dung commune has been invested effectively in the past time. The locality has completed and put into use the Phan Dung reservoir and invested in the canal system and intra-field traffic, creating conditions for the people of Phan Dung commune to develop agricultural production. Programs for the development of people's livelihoods and the economy of ethnic minority areas have been implemented, especially the effective implementation of support policies, granting land for production to people, agricultural extension programs, production development support... helping ethnic minorities have conditions for agricultural production, escape poverty, and improve their lives. The district continues to effectively implement policies on forest allocation, management, and protection for people. Medical and educational facilities; cultural institutions have received investment attention; traditional festivals of ethnic minorities have been promoted, basically meeting the needs of the people. The material and spiritual life of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas has been significantly improved.

Growing grapes in Phu Lac commune

Currently, the district is focusing on directing the implementation of 3 national target programs on new rural construction; socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas; sustainable poverty reduction for 3 highland and disadvantaged communes of the district, including: Phan Dung, Phong Phu, Phu Lac communes. In particular, the national target program on socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas is expected to create a breakthrough in Tuy Phong ethnic minority area in the coming time. The program is implemented with many component projects to motivate people to have more capital to expand production. In the near future, the district's ethnic minority area will be invested in completing more infrastructure such as: upgrading 2 cultural houses in Lac Tri and Vinh Hanh villages (Phu Lac commune); electric crematorium in Phu Lac commune. In particular, the project of reclamation and renovation of fields and canal system in Area A (Phan Dung commune) after the project is completed, production land will be allocated to 29 households here to put the allocated land area into production, creating stable income for the people here.

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