The programme is aimed at reducing the poverty rate in rural areas to less that 8 percent by 2015 and under 3 percent by 2020 and raising farmers’ incomes by 1.5 times by 2015. 

In order to achieve these targets, the programme looks to build a new standardised model for nearly 10,000 rural communes across the country, which satisfies the 19 newly-set standards. 

The Head of the MARD’s Cooperatives-Rural Development Department La Van Ly said that in order to be recognised as reaching the new development standards stipulated in the programme, a commune must satisfy a group of numerous standards such as keeping its poverty rate under 6 percent, training more than 35 percent of its labour force, ensuring social insurance coverage for at least 30 percent, etc. 

The government has set a target of having more than 20 percent of the country’s nearly 10,000 communes reach the new development standards by 2015 and 50 percent by 2020. 

The MARD is compiling 11 projects on rural development, which suggest that every commune will need an estimated investment of between US$120 and 150 billion (roughly US$6.6-8.3 million) to reach the new standards.