Mekong Delta expands industrial eco-zones, a new driving force for sustainable development

Promoting infrastructure advantages, attracting investment in industry

Industry is identified as a pillar industry in the economic growth of the Mekong Delta. On the basis of the infrastructure system being invested synchronously with horizontal and vertical highways, inland waterways, and Can Tho International Airport, localities have proactively planned and called for investment with the aim to form modern, environmentally friendly industrial eco-zones.

Industrial parks are developed in a continuous direction, with synchronous technical infrastructure, limiting the situation of small industrial clusters lacking wastewater treatment systems in order to solve the problem of environmental pollution.

In that development strategy, Hau Giang emerged as a bright spot when taking advantage of the intersection between the expressways being invested in, such as: Can Tho - Ca Mau, Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang, and Ha Tien - Rach Gia - Bac Lieu.

Nguyen Van Hoa, Permanent Vice Chairman of Hau Giang Provincial People’s Committee, said: “Through planning and investment in traffic infrastructure, Hau Giang Province has proactively planned industrial parks and clusters to connect the industrial-urban development corridor, creating growth momentum and contributing to sustainable socio-economic development.”

In the 2021-2030 period, Hau Giang Province plans 8 industrial parks, 15 industrial clusters with a total area of nearly 2,800 hectares, along with satellite urban centres. In which, the focus is on 3 industrial ecological zones, notably including districts Chau Thanh and Chau Thanh A. This area is planned to develop high-tech industry, supporting industry, agricultural processing, pharmaceuticals-cosmetics and logistics associated with regional agricultural products.

Nguyen Phong Minh, Secretary of Chau Thanh A District Party Committee (Hau Giang Province), emphasised: “We plan industrial parks and clusters concentrated on highways and national highways, creating favourable conditions to attract investment enterprises.”

Synchronising solutions to realise the planning

To realise the planning, Hau Giang Province synchronously deploys solutions: planning and planning to convert agricultural land to industrial land; clearing land to create clean land fund; investing in technical infrastructure of industrial zones and clusters; completing connecting traffic infrastructure; and issuing mechanisms and policies to attract investment, especially in the field of green and sustainable industry.

Can Tho City is the regional hub. On that basis, the project to build a centre for linking production, processing, and consumption of agricultural products in Can Tho plays a key role in connecting farmers, manufacturers, and exporters, forming a modern and effective agricultural value chain.

Can Tho - Ca Mau Expressway is under construction.

According to statistics, the Mekong Delta region has a demand for transporting, importing and exporting about 18 million tonnes of goods each year. However, there are currently only more than 1,460 logistics enterprises, accounting for only about 4.4% of the country. Specifically, enterprises providing professional logistics services are still very limited, affecting the export capacity of agricultural products, which is currently dominated by transportation costs and limited cold storage and post-harvest processing.

Investing in developing and facilitating logistics is an important part of removing difficulties for enterprises, restructuring, and reorganising production and export. As a rice exporting enterprise, Huynh Thi Bich Huyen, Director of Ngoc Quang Phat Import-Export Joint Stock Company in Can Tho City, understands rice farmers, who suffer from unstable prices, and believes that the reason for low prices and output is partly due to the export transportation stage.

Located in the South Hau River area, Can Tho City and Hau Giang Province have a special advantage as a transit centre connecting traffic, waterways, road transport, trade - services, and logistics of the South Hau River region with the rest of the Mekong Delta and other economic regions of the country through waterway and road routes such as: Hau River, National Highways 1, 61, 61B, 61C, Quan Lo - Phung Hiep, South Hau River, Bon Tong - Mot Ngan traffic route, the Can Tho - Ca Mau and Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang expressways, and Can Tho International Airport. When the complete traffic network connects with the master plan of Hau Giang Province and Can Tho City, it will be a driving force towards sustainable industrial development in this area.

Administrative reform, perfecting the value chain, promoting logistics

The formation of key logistics centres, linked with specialized production areas, will help to remove output bottlenecks, stabilise income for farmers, especially in the context of specialty fruit trees in Can Tho, Hau Giang such as Ha Chau strawberries, oranges, durians, etc.

According to many gardeners in Can Tho, in the past, farmers worked spontaneously, each person did it in a different way, a different type of tree, a different variety of tree. Therefore, it is necessary to re-plan to have a concentrated product area and help people access science and technology. At the same time, this is the basis for trademark registration, creating conditions for easier input and output of products. Avoid the situation where farmers follow the trend of growing fruit trees that are in high demand and then later cut them down to switch to other types and struggle in a vicious circle.

Tran Van Chien of Truong Long Commune, Phong Dien District, Can Tho City, said that in recent years, he has had a contract with the family’s Star Apple consumption company. He and many members of the cooperative signed a contract to consume all the fruit, and now the people have a very stable income.

In addition, developing logistics not only contributes to reducing transportation costs and improving product competitiveness, but is also an important link in restructuring the agricultural sector towards modernity and sustainability.

Tan Phu Thanh Industrial Park in Hau Giang Province.

In order to effectively attract investment resources in the industrial and logistics sectors, Hau Giang Province focuses on promoting administrative reform, making procedures public and transparent, and at the same time increasing dialogue with businesses to remove difficulties and improve the investment environment.

In order to prepare clean land and allocate land to businesses and investors, Hau Giang Province has established 10 working groups led by members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, directly directing districts, towns, and cities.

The development of agricultural hubs associated with specialised areas, connecting with ecological urban areas including the General Hub in Can Tho City associated with the development of logistics services in Hau Giang is a new driving force for the locality to expand space and conditions to increase the pace of economic development. That clearly demonstrates the role of the west not only as the rice granary and fruit granary of the whole country, but also as a new industrial-logistics centre, with the aspiration to rise strongly.

Expanding the space for developing industrial ecological zones will be an inevitable step, contributing to solving employment for rural workers, ensuring social security, creating a foundation for the western region, especially Can Tho City and Hau Giang Province, to develop dramatically in the coming period.