Bac Giang

Bắc Giang’s land area is primarily dedicated to agriculture. The province is becoming known as a producer of fruit, particularly pineapples and lychees. Around a quarter of Bắc Giang’s land area is devoted to forestry. Located 50 km 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Hanoi, the province is within both the Hanoi-Hải Phong-Quảng Ninh Economic Corridor, and the Nam Ninh-Lạng Sơn-Hanoi-Hải Phong-Quảng Ninh Economic Corridor. Before the province was formulated in 1997 and industrial development of the region was initiated, the GDP of the province was only US$ 170 with Agro-Forestry accounting for 55% and Industry hardly contributed. It was a poor economy with 90% of agricultural workers remaining below the poverty line. However, during the period 1997-2008, the province having launched several industrial projects in all its districts, 410 projects were launched with investment of US$ 23.174 billion that included 74 "Foreign Direct Investment" projects worth US$ 432.9 million. As a result, several economic farming models were introduced, which resulted in "Rural Economic Development", social consumer retail sales, and services got a boost, the poverty rate (2005 level) reduced to 17.78%, and textiles and garment exports accounted for about US $130 million, which was 76% of the province’s export turnover. Infrastructure such as National Highways and rural roads were substantially expanded, towns were better planned and beautified. Industrial parks, urban Areas-service and high-tech parks are being added. Key Industries like fertilizer, high technology, engineering, building materials, assembling automobiles, agricultural processing, forestry products, textiles and electric power generation are planned with the objective of achieving a GDP growth rate of 11-12% by 2020.[19] The province has the Bắc Giang Department of Industry and Trade established in 2008 by the Bắc Giang People’s Committee, which unifies the Department of Industry and the Department of Trade and Tourism; this testifies to the importance given to promote industrial development of the province.[20]