HAM TAN DISTRIC – A NEW INDUSTRIAL ZONE

OF BINH THUAN

Ham Tan district. which is home to the beautiful beach of Doi Duong, is also the location of one of three industrial zones in Binh Thuan province. The district has decided that fisheries will be its spearhead industry. It will also tap its natural potential to develop tourism in the future, and targets to increase the proportion of industrial production and trade and services in its economy.

With a long coastline, Ham Tan district is one of the three largest fisheries centers in Binh Thuan province. Offshore fishing in the district has developed solidly Seventy percent of the district's population is employed in the fisheries industry. The district is building large fishing vessels and purchasing more fishing equipment. Since 2001, it has built 27 new fishing vessels with a total capacity of 3,315 CV, raising the total number of vessels in the district to 1,201 with a total capacity of 63,948 CV This includes 139 vessels with a capacity of 90 CV or more The district reported total seafood output of 36,796 tons in 2002, up 290 tons against 2000.

To realize its targets of exploiting 45,000 tons of seafood in 2005 and 50,000 tons in 2010, the district is planning to raise the proportion of large-capacity fishing vessels, which will have a capacity of 90 CV or more each, to 10% by 2005 and 45% by 2010. The district is also building the Lagi Fishing Port, which is scheduled for completion in 2005. It is also dredging the passages and building mooring sites for fishing vessels on the estuaries of the Ba Dang and Ha Lang rivers. By 2006 it will have built the Ham Tan Seafood Processing Plant and a number of seafood whole- sale markets.

Aquaculture in the district has also made remarkable achievements over the last two years. Many economic sectors have invested in expanding the seafood raising area in the district. As at June 2003, the aqua-cultural area had reached 330.08 hectares, up 200% against that of 2000. The district is turning unused coastal land and infertile rice land into prawn ponds. It targets to have 6 1 6 hectares of prawn ponds by 2006 and 931 hectares by 2010, accounting for 25% of Binh Thuan province's prawn raising area.

From Ho Chi Minh City, passing through Ba Ria Vung Tau province, we reach Đoi Duong Beach in central Binh Thuan province's Ham Tan district. The deserted beach, which is dozens of kilometers in length with pure white sand, is as beautiful as a virgin. The beach also offers a wide range of seafood. Over the last few years, the number of tourists visiting Đoi Duong Beach has increased rapidly. There are many hotels, of both the luxurious and mid-range variety, along the beach to accommodate guests. The district has attracted 49 projects investing in tourism here, of which 28 have now been licensed.

The district plans to build the Ham Tan Tourism Complex on an area of 500 hectares. The 150-hectare Tan Hai - Dinh Thay area, which is part of the complex, will focus on sightseeing and religious tours. On September 15 and 16 of the lunar month every year, the district holds a large festival to commemorate the Thay Thim Master, who cured local people from diseases in the 9^th century.

The district will build the 150- hectare Đoi Đuong - Tan Binh - Hon Ba area into a resort with hotels, villas, and bungalows. Hon Ba is an island with ancient trees and the Temple of the Ana Goddess. Every year, local people hold a' festival on March 23 of the lunar calendar to honor her. The 100 -hectare Tan Thien coastal eco-tourism site and the Tan Thhang eco-tourism site will become part of the district's tourism attractions.

 Ham Tan targets to raise the pro- portion of industrial production and trade and services in its economy to 57% by 2005 and 71% by 2010.

In addition to cultivating and raising highly productive plants and animals, Ham Tan district has decided to develop the farm produce processing industry to turn out products for the market, helping local farmers to sell their products more easily. lt will apply new technologies in agricultural production, build more irrigation works and use more farming machinery.

In 2002, the area of perennial trees in the district stood at 1,212 hectares and the area of annual crops was 3,204 hectares. The area and productivity of hybrid corn has been raised by 29% and by 420 kg per hectare, respectively. The area of cassava has increased by 350% and that of sugarcane by 45.12%. The district reported total food output of 26,974 tons in 2002, up 3,389 tons against 2000 and exceeding the target set for the year by 7.78%. By 2002, Ham Tan district had allocated 12,776 hectares of forests to local households, up 312 hectares against 2000. It had also Planted 3,266 hectares of forests, 2,800 hectares more than in 2000 and reaching t 65.32% of the target.

The district will increase the proportion of industrial production and trade and services in its economy and reduce the proportion of agricultural production in the future. lt will maintain 5,000 hectares of rice in Tan Hai, Tan Thang and Tan Binh communes and 2.500 hectares of cornfields in Tan Minh, Tan Nghia and Tan Ha communes. lt will also maintain the cassava area at 2,500 hectares, concentrated in Tan Thang, Tan Xuan and Tan Minh communes. The area of short-term industrial crops will be 14,000 hectares, including 4,000 hectares of cotton, 3,000 hectares of beans and 500 hectares of sugarcane.

By 2010, the area of long-term industrial crops and fruit trees in the district will be 14.800 hectares, including 1,000 hectares of rubber trees, 6.000 hectares of cashew nuts and 7,800 hectares of fruit trees such as mangoes and longans. Ham Tan district will have allocated 15,450 hectares of forests to local households and planted 7,600 hectares of new forests by that time.

The district will upgrade and expand its seafood processing factories, aiming to turn out 15,000 tons of frozen seafood, 6,000 tons of dried seafood and 1.5 million liters of fish sauce in 2010. lt will also upgrade and expand its farm produce processing plants, which are to generate total revenues of VND50 billion in 2010. Of the nine projects calling for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the 2001-05 period in Binh Thuan province, four are located in Ham Tan district. These projects include those on building a seafood processing plant, a fish sauce plant, a prawn farm and a canned seafood plant. Three of the province's agricultural and forestry projects are also located in Ham Tan district, including a forest planting endeavor, an animal feed plant and a paper pulp plant. Regarding industrial projects, six out of 16 projects will be in Ham Tan district, including a crystal plant, a granite quarry, a dioxide titanium plant, a shoe factory, a garment factory, and an instant food plant. The district also has many other foreign  invested projects, including the 10- hectare Ham Tan Coastal Resort, the 400-hectare Ham Tan International Village, the Ham Tan Water Supply Pant with a daily capacity of 10,000 cubic meters, and the 100-hectare Ham Tan industrial Park.

The industrial production value of Ham Tan district has increased annually by 8.48%, reaching VND69.38 billion in 2002. The district now has two operational garment factories, which employ 600 workers, one handicraft village, and three cooperatives. The number of State- run and private enterprises in the district is still limited.

Despite an annual economic growth rate of 10.54%, Ham Tan remains a poor district. lt will focus on the construction of infrastructure, paving the way for the development of the Ham Tan Industrial Park.

The district has completed the detailed land use plan for the 2001-10 period in five communes. lt has also worked out a detailed plan to build roads to seafood farms, forests, and tourism sites.

Ham Tan district has recently completed the construction of the Da Dung Water Pumping Station, the Tan Nghia Water Supply System, the Tan Ha Water Supply System, 159 farms and many other irrigation works.

The expansion of the electricity system, the road system, schools, and healthcare centers will be carried out gradually over the next few years.

A new road system will be built to facilitate the urbanization of the district. It will build 137 km of new rural roads by 2005 and an additional 168 km by 2010, including roads leading to the Tan Thang Orchard, the Tan Minh Perennial Tree Area, the Son My Prawn Raising Area, the Tan Minh Sugarcane Field, and the Tan Binh, Tan Hai and Tan Nghia residential areas.

With the construction of the Ham Tan Water Supply Plant, 100% of households in the district will have access to clean water by 2010. The district will upgrade the existing water pipe system and expand the pipe network to residential areas. To ensure that Ham Tan district has sufficient water for daily use and agricultural and industrial needs, the district will build the Dinh Reservoir with a capacity of 45 million cubic meters and the Lanh Tan Nghia Reservoir with a capacity of 3.5 million cubic meters in the 2001-05 period. In the 2006-10 period, it will build the Gieng - Tan Minh Reservoir with a capacity of seven million cubic meters, and the Nui Dat - Suoi L.e, Co Kieu, Suoi Da, and Lang Da irrigation canals.

From now to 2005, Ham Tan district will install an additional 52 km of medium-voltage power trans- mission lines, and 70 km of low-voltage transmission lines, raising the rate of households with access to the national electricity grid to 100%. The district also targets to raise the telephone density to 9.3 phones per 100 residents.

According to its plan, Ham Tan district will also establish Ham Tan township, which will comprise Lagi town and Tan An, Tan Thien, Tan Binh, and Tan Hai communes, with a total population of 78,000 people. The town- ship center will be located along Nguyen Hue Road. The Tan An - Tan Thien area will focus on industrial production, trade and services, and the Lagi - Tan Binh area will focus on fisheries and tourism./.

DUC LUONG