Lesson 2: The 'Green Economy' Cooperative Model
In the production and business process, some cooperatives in Nghe An have been dynamic, innovative, and proactive, applying new advancements to create momentum in exploiting the potential strengths of rural and mountainous areas. Specifically, they have applied mechanization, produced rice using carbon credits, produced brocade, processed bamboo, and medicinal herbs, creating stable income for thousands of members and workers.
In fact, thecooperativeAgricultural services act as a bridge between businesses and farmers, investing in and purchasing equipment and machinery for mechanization, serving production, creating "human-free" fields; and connecting farmers to stable, large-scale agricultural product consumption.
In the Bờ Rào field of Thạch Sơn hamlet, Văn Thành commune, Yên Thành district, one day in early May, we directly "surveyed" the effectiveness of the model.fields "without human footprints"This was implemented during the 2024 spring rice crop production of agricultural service cooperatives in Yen Thanh. It involved the application of unmanned rice transplanters, agricultural drones for crop care, and organic rice production.
Mr. Nguyen Phuc Hung, the owner of the model rice field, excitedly expressed that after a lifetime of working in the fields, he has finally witnessed a field "without human footprints." From the beginning of the season, the soil was tilled by machine, followed by the use of unmanned rice transplanters, combined with drone-assisted fertilizer application. The process of spraying pesticides also utilizes drones, and on harvest day, combine harvesters are used. Throughout this entire rice crop, no one has to set foot in the field, resulting in higher economic efficiency. With this 1-hectare rice field, yielding 7.5 tons of rice at the current market price of 9,000 VND/kg, this is equivalent to nearly 68 million VND. After deducting all costs for seeds, fertilizers, tillage equipment, pesticides, etc., the estimated profit is 30 million VND, 10 million VND higher than before.
Mr. Nguyen Phuc Hung further shared: "Farming like this is truly wonderful, without the 'buffalo leading the plow' routine. The 'footprint-free' fields have realized the dreams of farmers, freeing up labor in the context of the current labor shortage in rural areas."
The "footprint-free" fields have realized farmers' dreams, freeing up labor in the context of the current labor shortage in rural areas.
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Mr. Nguyen Phuc Hung, Van Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district)
Mr. Nguyen Trong Huong, Director of the Yen Thanh District Agricultural Services Center, said: "During the planting and cultivation process, with the application of unmanned equipment for planting, fertilizing, and spraying pesticides, farmers can manage the rice crop from the field for more than 3 months. The entire field of 10 rice plants grows uniformly, in neat rows, resulting in more even plant growth, increased yield, and a clear economic benefit compared to traditional rice cultivation methods. Profits are increased by more than 10 million VND/hectare compared to areas outside the model."
According to Mr. Huong, there are currently 6 "human-free" rice field models in Yen Thanh district, utilizing unmanned rice transplanters, agricultural drones for crop care, and organic rice production. These models are located in the communes of Van Thanh, Long Thanh, Cong Thanh, Minh Thanh, Lien Thanh, and Hong Thanh, covering a total area of nearly 100 hectares, with active participation from cooperatives. The results of these models contribute to raising awareness and encouraging farmers to change their traditional production methods and mindsets to "Applying smart technology in organic rice production," thereby freeing up labor, increasing income for rice growers, and moving towards a modern and sustainable agricultural production system.
In recent years, many cooperatives in Nghe An province have applied the "footprint-free" rice field model, such as Quynh Tam (Quynh Luu), Dien Lien (Dien Chau), and Tho Thanh (Yen Thanh), actively mechanizing agriculture and reducing input costs in rice production... resulting in high economic efficiency. These models are all implemented by agricultural cooperatives in collaboration with businesses. Mr. Vo Van Giap, Director of Dien Lien Agricultural Service Cooperative (Dien Chau), said: This spring, the cooperative collaborated with a business to cultivate nearly 250 hectares of rice. The benefits of applying technology to production include lower input costs and higher efficiency. In addition, rice production reduces emissions and creates carbon credits – a new direction today.
The advantages of applying technology to production include lower input costs and higher efficiency. In addition, rice production reduces emissions and generates carbon credits – a new direction in current production.
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Mr. Vo Van Giap - Director of Dien Lien Agricultural Service Cooperative (Dien Chau)
The mountainous region of Nghe An province, especially Con Cuong district, has potential for bamboo, rattan, and other similar materials, with approximately 3,500 hectares of land dedicated to this. These are versatile plants used in daily life: for building houses, in the construction industry, and for weaving, all possessing high durability. In Con Cuong, the Tra Lan Cooperative, comprised of young, innovative individuals, has processed bamboo and rattan into unique handicrafts, creating jobs for hundreds of local workers. Most importantly, the cooperative has contributed to maintaining the greenness of the planted forests, preserving local culture, and attracting thousands of tourists to the area.
From Con Cuong town, after a 20km trek through the forest, we arrived at Tra Lan Cooperative, managed by Mr. Thai Dang Tien in Khe Choang village, Chau Khe commune (Con Cuong). Chau Khe is a border commune adjacent to Laos, with many villages lacking electricity, roads, and internet access… but boasting vast fields of bamboo and rattan. Thousands of environmentally friendly products are crafted by the cooperative's members: teapots, trays, cups, chopsticks, bowls, spoons, ladles, vases, toothpick holders, various types of lanterns, rattan furniture, etc.
According to Mr. Thai Dang Tien, for the products to be durable and beautiful, the bamboo must be at least 5 years old to be mature, hard, and flexible enough. Bamboo harvested from the forest must be processed using traditional methods: soaked in water for 6 months to a year or boiled in lime water and salt. After processing, the bamboo will be resistant to termites and more durable; some products are even dried over a long period. Observing the product display, it's evident that the products are cut, sanded smooth, and polished to ensure safety and enhance aesthetics.
The Tra Lan Cooperative has received support from the local government, ranging from assistance with establishment procedures and loan applications to bringing its products to major trade fairs. The Cooperative's Management Board also reaches the market by promoting its products on social media, leading to increased awareness among customers near and far. These customers are primarily restaurants and hotels both within and outside the province, especially in Ho Chi Minh City. The cooperative's annual revenue is around 1 billion VND, providing employment for dozens of ethnic minority workers.
The director of the Tra Lan Cooperative, Mr. Thai Dang Tien, added: “As a highland resident who loves my homeland and the landscape of my village, from 2016 to 2018, I spared no effort to travel to handicraft villages outside the province to learn how to make handicrafts. Once I had solid skills, in 2019 I decided to return to my hometown to start my own business. The cooperative has received support from the local Party committee and government, giving us confidence in its development.”
Nghe An province has 11 mountainous districts, and generally, each locality has large areas of bamboo, reeds, and other similar plants. The Tra Lan Cooperative is one of the bright spots in the border region, helping to protect the environment, preserve the ecosystem, and create more jobs. Through the cooperative's processed products, villagers are expanding their bamboo and reed fortifications, simultaneously developing the forest economy and protecting the ecological environment.
The Pù Mát Medicinal Herb Cooperative (Con Cuông) is also a cooperative that has been operating effectively for many years. Recognizing the growing trend of using medicinal herbs for health care, the cooperative has created large medicinal herb fields according to VietGAP standards with the support of Japanese experts in western Nghe An province. From these fields, clean medicinal herbs are processed by cooperative members into many high-quality OCOP products, including two products that have achieved 4-star OCOP status. These products include Pù Mát Solanum torvum, Pù Mát Gymnema sylvestre, instant Solanum torvum tea, Solanum torvum pills, etc.
The Pù Mát Medicinal Herb Cooperative has contributed to greening barren hills and increasing green areas in the environmental protection of the Pù Mát National Forest, creating multiple values per unit area, and simultaneously creating jobs for hundreds of local workers.
For many years, after harvesting, farmers would burn all the straw in the fields to eliminate pests and diseases and make cultivation easier. While straw was used for cooking in the past, with the advent of gas and electric stoves, this resource is now being wasted.
Concerned about hundreds of thousands of tons of straw being wasted in the fields, while cattle on large farms have to buy imported feed, the Hung Tay Agricultural Service Cooperative (Hung Nguyen) advised the local government and went directly to the South to learn... Afterwards, the cooperative invested in 5 straw harvesting machines and a truck to start buying straw from farmers. During the recent harvest season, the cooperative's vehicles and machines operated at full capacity, simultaneously buying straw, preparing the land, collecting garbage in the villages, and carrying out other production activities such as irrigation services, seeds, fertilizer, garbage collection, and mushroom production... As a result, in one season, the cooperative collected 200,000 - 300,000 bales of straw, with an import price of 30,000 VND per bale, bringing in nearly 500 million VND per season. The cooperative now specializes in collecting straw from the districts of Hung Nguyen, Nam Dan, Yen Thanh, etc.
Creative and quick thinking has helped Hung Tay Agricultural Service Cooperative survive and develop in the face of market mechanisms; the amount of straw sold to livestock farms and large vegetable gardens brings in three to four times the economic efficiency. The cooperative also applies science and technology to increase management efficiency...
As mentioned above, cooperatives with effective practices in Nghe An not only create jobs with stable incomes for their members but also participate in the value chains of other industries, paying particular attention to environmental protection, creating sustainable raw material areas to serve the production of OCOP products, exports, and protecting the rural environment – a difficult problem today.
(To be continued)
