1. Population and labor
Population of 1.1 million people with three main ethnic groups: Kinh, Khmer, and Chinese, of which Khmer ethnic group makes up 30% of the total population.
Labor in working age is over 70%, of which 34% is trained and will be a good labor source of labor supply for industrial production enterprises, especially for sectors with high demand of labors.
2. Training system
There are Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh Medical College, School of Culture-Art, Vocational Training School, International Information Technology Center NIIT, Center of Informatics and Foreign Language, 8 Centers of Vocational Training, 2 Centers of General Technology – Career Mentoring, 4 Centers for Continuing Education, and over 40 high schools.
INFRASTRUCTURE
1. Traffic
- There are 3 main National Highways 53, 54 and 60 which are upgraded to grade 3 delta road and connect Tra Vinh with Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces in Mekong river delta.
- It is 130km from Tra Vinh to Ho Chi Minh City along National highway 60 and crossing Trung Luong controlled-access highway.
- It is 200km from Tra Vinh to Ho Chi Minh City along National highway 53 and crossing National highway 1A.
- It is 100km from Tra Vinh to Can Tho City along National highway 53 and crossing National highway 1A.
2. Waterway traffic
- There are 2 main estuaries in the province: Cung Hau estuary (Tien river) and Dinh An estuary (Hau river) which connect provinces in Mekong river delta and Ho Chi Minh City and allow 5.000-ton ships to land Can Tho and Sai Gon port for international exchange.
- In 2013: Open jet for 20.000-ton ships in Hau river and Tra Vinh and Tra Cu port… which is artery of Mekong river delta.
3. Electricity
100% communes/wards and towns are provided with electricity. The line and the second 220 KV station (Vinh Long – Tra Vinh) are being built to provide source electricity for the province to enhance electricity quality for production and life.
Duyen Hai Thermal Power Plant is built with capacity of 4.400 MW. It is expected to put assembly 1 into operation with capacity of 1.200 MW in 2014.
4. Water supply
Water plant at Tra Vinh city has capacity of 18.000m3/day-night and will be widen with capacity of 50.000m3/day-night. Besides, at towns and residential areas, there are public water supply stations and new water pipe system. The province is going to build a new water plant with capacity of 18.000m3/day-night at Duyen Hai district.
5. Posts and Telecommunications
Provincial telecommunication system has been modernized and covered the whole province, nation and the world; all of communications from everywhere are served under customers’ demand with telecommunication suppliers like Vinaphong, Mobifone, Viettel, Vietnamobile…
6. Bank - Insurance
There are many branches of big commercial banks in Tra Vinh with modern services for transaction, payment, remittance, consigning, credit lending, finance leasing under international practice to meet demand of investors.
There are many big insurance companies of Vietnam with various and prestige insurance forms which can meet insurance demand of enterprises and customers like Bao Viet Tra Vinh, Bao Minh Tra Vinh, PJICO Insurance, Posts Insurance; Military Insurance…
ECONOMY
1. Economic growth
Economic growth in 1996-2000 reached 8.87%, in 2001-2005 reached 11.46%, in 2006-2010 reached 11.64%. It is forecasted to reach 14% in 2010-2015.
2. Economic structure
2.1 Agriculture - Aquaculture
Agriculture
Annual growth rate of agriculture: 2%
+ Rice: 90.000 hectares. Annual productivity: 1.15 million tons, of which high yielding rice 50.000 hectares with productivity of 360.000 tons.
+ Coconut: 14.500 hectares, over 3 million coconut trees with productivity of 130 million coconuts which are material source for process industry like coconut fibrous husk, coconut dust, activated carbon, coconut shell charcoal, desiccated coconut, micro-organic fertilizer, coir carpet…
+ Sugarcane: about 6.500 hectares; productivity: 100 tons/hectare at Tra Cu, Tieu Can district.
+ Peanut: 4.500 hectares. Annual productivity: 19.200 tons, mainly at Cau Ngang and Duyen Hai district.
+ Corn: 5.700 hectares. Annual productivity: 28.000 tons at Tra Cu and Cau Ngang district.
- Fruit tree: 19.200 hectares. Annual productivity: 198.000 tons, including Chau Nghe mango, pomelo, orange, Nhi Long mandarin orange, longan, rambutan, durian, Tan Quy mangosteen...
- Breeding: pig: 420.000 pigs/year; over 95% is economic cross-bred pig. Beeves: 160.000/year. Buffalo: 2.000. Goat: 8.000. Poultry: 5.300.000.
Aquaculture
Annual growth rate of aquaculture: 12%
- Total area: 51.600 hectares (shrimp area: 29.000 hectares). Fishery productivity: 163.600 tons. Fishery exploitation: 60.000 tons, domestic exploitation: 14.900 tons. Fishery farming: 88.400 tons (giant tiger prawn: 23.000 tons, giant river prawn and white leg shrimp: 1.000 tons), catfish: 19.800 tons/year, crab: 8.700 tons/year, scallop: 1.800 tons/year…
- Coastal area: resource: 1.2 million tons; exploitation ability: 630.000 tons/year.
2.2. Industry
- Annual average growth rate: 15%
- Main industries: High technology (basic chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, electronics…), agricultural-fishery product process, coconut process, sugarcane, cashew nut, feedstuff, footwear, garment.
- Handicraft villages and cooperatives: mat weave, knitting, souvenir…
2.3. Trade – Service
- Average growth rate: 20%
- Average good retail rate: 14%
There are over 1.000 commercial enterprises with over 3.000 retail agents. The province has finished planning of market, supermarket and trade center by the year 2020. Retail supermarket systems like COOP MART, VINATEX have worked effectively in the province.
- Export turnover: Increasing over 26.42% every year, including main products: rice increases 38.97%, coconut products increases 15%, frozen fishery increased 25.2%. Main export markets: Asia: Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong; Europe: Switzerland, Holland, France, Sweden. Other countries: America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Saudi Arabia.
CULTURE-TOURISM
There are over 140 Khmer pagodas in Tra Vinh. Every year, on lunar October 14 and 15 of lunar calendar, Khmer people hold Moon worship festival (also known as Ok Om Bok festival). It is one of the most important festival and the chance for Khmer people to entertain with many traditional cultural activities. Ngo boat race on Long Binh River is a typical example.
Some cultural festival in Tra Vinh province: Nginh Ong festival, Ok Om Bok festival, Vu Lan festival…