The event, held by the Vietnam Rubber Group (VRG) and Binh Phuoc province’s authorities, was also to mark the Vietnam’s rubber industry traditional day (October 28, 1929-2019).
Nguyen Van Tram, Chairman of Binh Phuoc People's Committee, reviewed the leadership tradition of the CPI – one among the predecessors of the Communist Party of Vietnam – and its Phu Rieng Party Committee during the years of fighting against the French colonialists. During the resistance war against the French colonialists, the CPI’s cell, one of the first three Party cells in Cochinchina, led the oppressed rubber workers to stand up to fight against the colonialists. The resonance of the "Red Phu Rieng" movement has contributed to promoting the Vietnamese workers’ movements to new heights. Following the resilient revolutionary tradition, on the old Phu Rieng plantation land, the next generations today are constantly striving to build a rich and beautiful homeland, worthy of the title of the "Red Phu Rieng," Tram affirmed.
On October 28, 1929, at a stream bank behind Village 3, under the direction of comrade Ngo Gia Tu, the CPI’s cell in Cochinchina with the name of Phu Rieng Party Committee, one of the first three party cells in Cochinchina, was born. It is also the first communist party cell in Binh Phuoc and of Vietnam's rubber industry. The Phu Rieng Party Committee helped the movement of workers in Phu Rieng rubber plantation to be more effective, thus promoting other workers’ movements in rubber plantations, workshops and ship-building factories.
Currently, the old Phu Rieng plantation is located entirely in Tan Thanh Rubber Farm (belonging to Dong Phu Rubber Joint Stock Company), in Thuan Phu commune, Dong Phu district, Binh Phuoc province. October 28 has been selected by the rubber industry as its traditional day. Every day, on October 28, the VRG leaders and representatives from the rubber industry gather at Phu Rieng to offer incense and review the tradition of Phu Rieng plantation workers.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy PM Binh emphasised that the history of formation and development of the rubber industry is associated with the revolutionary struggle movement of rubber workers in Phu Rieng plantation and of the CPI’s Phu Rieng cell – the first party organ in the region.
After nearly a century, the rubber industry has also gradually developed, with a total plantation area of about 1 million ha and is widely distributed in many parts of the country, creating economic efficiency for the national socio-economic development, Binh said. The Vietnamese rubber industry has reached to Laos and Cambodia under various cooperation programmes, contributing to strengthening and tightening the friendship relationship and cooperation among the three Indochinese countries.
Vietnam's rubber industry has risen to affirm its position on the international market with an annual output of over 1 million tonnes, exporting 1.56 million tonnes of rubber of all kinds, ranking third in the world. Natural rubber is the fifth largest agricultural product in terms of export value of Vietnam. Particularly, in 2018, exports of natural rubber reached US$2.1 billion.
To boost the industry’s growth, Binh urged the VRG to develop a strategy in the direction of economic development combined with environmental protection and social responsibility. With a focus on investing heavily in scientific research to enhance the added value in the value chain of their products, while restructuring resources and diversifying ownership to improve corporate governance.
On the occasion, the State President awarded two First-Class Labour Orders to the VGR and its trade union. Five Second-Class and nine Third-Class Labour Orders were also granted to other collectives and individuals who have made outstanding achievements in their work from 2013 to 2018, contributing to the cause of socialist construction and national defence.
