Ten outstanding Vietnamese women were honoured for their contributions to agrifood systems and rural development at a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on October 15.

The National Target Programme on New-style Rural Area Development identifies the preservation and promotion of cultural identity as a foundation for sustainable development. Therefore, new-style rural areas are not intended to become uniform or follow a common template, but to reflect the distinctive cultural identities of each village and community.

The Ministry of Construction has issued Circular No. 10/2026/TT-BXD, providing guidance on implementing national criteria for new rural communes and the conditions for completing the provincial-level new rural development task during the 2026–2030 period under its authority.

In the process of restructuring the economy alongside renewing the growth model, agriculture, farmers and rural areas remain foundational pillars. However, for this sector to become a solid backbone, credit capital is indispensable, acting as a driving force that determines the capacity to expand production and enhance value.

In the new phase, the criteria for building new rural areas are defined with a focus on sustainability, modernity, intelligence, and liveability. The emphasis is shifting from achieving standards to improving quality, associated with green agriculture, digital transformation, and enhancing farmers’ income and living standards.

Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man met with Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in Rome on April 14, affirming that Viet Nam always regards FAO as a leading partner in agricultural and rural development.

Total state budget allocation for the national target programme on building new-style rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas for the 2026–2030 period is around 423 trillion VND (16 billion USD).