Step-by-step progress
At its establishment, Song Hinh had six communes with a population of 16,857, of which ethnic minorities accounted for 49.5%. At that time, infrastructure was almost nonexistent, and people’s lives were extremely difficult, lacking necessities. Outdated customs were common, and the economy relied primarily on self-sufficient agriculture.
Many families faced chronic food shortages, and major roads were merely dirt and gravel paths, dusty in the dry season and muddy in the rain. Healthcare and education facilities were rudimentary, and there was a severe shortage of medical personnel and teachers—only one doctor served the entire district, and only three out of six communes had health stations.
According to Nay Y Blung, Secretary of Song Hinh District Party Committee, the district has achieved an annual production growth rate of 13-15%. By 2025, it aims to reach a total production value of over 11.2 trillion VND, 3.3 times higher than a decade ago. The economic structure has shifted in the right direction, with an increasing share of industry, commerce, and services.
Agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production reached over 2 trillion VND, accounting for 17.9%, while industrial, small-scale industry and construction production reached 6.1 trillion VND, making up 54.34%, a 41% increase compared to 2000. Notably, state budget revenue has risen to 130 billion VND, a 55-fold increase since 2000.
Song Hinh District People’s Committee Chairman Dinh Ngoc Dan added, “Industry is gradually becoming an economic driver, especially with factories actively purchasing and processing local agricultural products. This helps minimise the risk of price drops despite good harvests. With this economic growth, we aim to achieve an average per capita income of 60 million VND per year by 2025—three times higher than in 2015.”
Becoming a promised land
Stretching before us are vast fields of sugarcane and cassava covering more than 16,000 hectares, now ready for harvest. These fields extend across the hills, where acacia forests grow densely. What was once barren land now provides each household with at least one hectare dedicated to these key crops, with some owning dozens of hectares and earning billions of VND per year.
Hoang Duc Kien, Chairman of the Ea Bar Commune People’s Committee, shared excitedly, “Now, farmers only need to own land to secure income. The sugar factories, especially KCP Sugar Factory, handle all investments. Over the past two years, crops have been plentiful, and prices have been high, especially sugarcane, making people very happy. Meanwhile, the price of planted acacia trees has reached an all-time high.”
About 10 kilometres from Hai Rieng Town, Song Hinh’s administrative and commercial centre, Ra Y Trung from Quen Hamlet, Ea Bar Commune, is harvesting sugarcane on his 1.1-hectare field. More than ten workers are busy cutting and loading the cane onto trucks for transport to the factory. This season, with a yield of 100 tonnes and a price of 1.35 million VND per tonne—up 20,000 VND from the previous season—he expects to earn at least 60 million VND after expenses. “Previously, I had to sell cattle or take out bank loans to invest in sugarcane. Now, factories provide interest-free funding, making life much easier. As long as we take care of the crops, we make a profit,” Trung said enthusiastically.
Although established later than the mountainous districts of Son Hoa and Dong Xuan, Song Hinh has stood out as a model of development. The district has successfully built a solid road network across its agricultural areas, thanks to both government and community contributions.
“In our hamlet, 70% of the main roads reach the farmlands, and soon it will be 100%. Over the past few years, farm produce, including forestry crops, has been abundant, and prices have been stable. Many families have even funded their concrete roads to their fields. Now, sugarcane fields look as smooth as urban streets, which is truly gratifying,” said Ksor Y Veo, Secretary and Head of Trinh Hamlet in Ea Bar Commune.
“Song Hinh’s transport infrastructure is mostly paved, especially inter-commune and inter-hamlet roads, facilitating travel, agricultural transport, and trade—even during the rainy season. Meanwhile, the irrigation system has expanded annually, with 35 projects and 167 km of canals, 85% of which are now concretised, ensuring stable irrigation for 3,600 hectares of farmland,” Secretary Nay Y Blung added.
Over the past decade, Song Hinh has been recognised for its rapid urbanisation. It now ranks among the most commercially and service-oriented mountainous districts in the province. The town of Hai Rieng is gradually reaching the standards of a grade-IV urban area. In the new-style rural area development programme, six out of ten communes have met the criteria, with one achieving advanced new-style rural area status, three model residential areas, and six model gardens.
Notably, the poverty rate has fallen to 4.58%, and living standards and education levels have improved. Ethnic minority children now receive proper schooling, unlike in the past when many dropped out.
The Party Committee, government, and ethnic communities of Song Hinh District have been honoured with First, Second, and Third-Class Labour Orders, a Third-Class Independence Order, and the title of Hero of the People’s Armed Forces.
