For sustainable cooperative development

Signs of improvement

Minh Thanh Agricultural Services and Construction Cooperative (Yen Thanh) has implemented a model of linking production and consumption of high-quality commercial rice with an area of ​​50 hectares/year since 2023. The cooperative also provides materials and land preparation services for hundreds of hectares in the locality.

With the spirit of daring to think and daring to do, the Cooperative Management Board has invested more than 3 billion VND to purchase a series of machines such as plows, tillers, transplanters, 40,000 seedling trays... Thereby, helping to synchronize the mechanization of production stages, contributing to improving productivity, reducing costs, and increasing income for farmers.

However, according to Mr. Nguyen Cong Hien - Director of Minh Thanh Agricultural Services and Construction Cooperative, the current amount of machinery is still not enough to meet actual needs. He said that the cooperative is planning to invest in 2 more combine harvesters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and many modern plows and transplanters... The total estimated cost is up to billions of VND.

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“If there were more policies to support the purchase price of machinery, the cooperative would be more proactive in production and help people no longer depend on outside service units.”

Mr. Nguyen Cong Hien - Director of Minh Thanh Agricultural Services and Construction Cooperative

Also in Yen Thanh district, Tho Thanh General Service Agricultural Cooperative is a typical example of production modernization. This unit has invested in over 20 types of equipment and machinery, and recently continued to spend billions of dong to buy 7 new generation transplanters and drones, serving production on an area of ​​over 500 hectares of rice. The application of modern machinery helps the cooperative not only improve efficiency but also affirm its central role in the local agricultural value chain.

In the field of high-tech agricultural production, Quynh Minh Agricultural - Salt Cooperative (Quynh Luu) is showing a sustainable direction when combining cultivation with processing and consumption of products. In 2022, the cooperative invested more than 2 billion VND to build a greenhouse with an area of ​​3,000m², of which the province supported 200 million VND.

After 3 years, the model of growing melons in greenhouses has achieved high productivity, good quality, creating jobs for 3-5 regular workers. Currently, the cooperative is expanding its scale to 5,000m² and investing in a vegetable, root and fruit drying line worth 1.3 billion VND, expecting to create stable output for more than 960 members cultivating nearly 400 hectares of vegetables.

Not only in the agricultural sector, cooperatives in the forestry sector in Nghe An are also making remarkable progress. Quynh Thang Forestry Cooperative (Quynh Luu) is currently one of the typical units in processing planted forest wood. Thanks to capital support from the province and its own resources, the cooperative has invested tens of billions of VND in the production line system, improving productivity and business efficiency.

Need for synchronous support mechanism

However, according to the Management Board of the Quynh Minh Agricultural - Salt Cooperative, to ensure year-round supply and participate more deeply in the agricultural value chain, the cooperative is in dire need of additional capital support, especially in the investment phase of expanding production scale and applying deep processing technology.

Similarly, the representative of Quynh Thang Forestry - General Cooperative (Quynh Luu) said, The unit still needs more capital support to invest in new high-yield acacia varieties, modern wood processing machinery and land to build an office. Expanding the scale and modernizing production will help the cooperative not only strengthen the value chain of planted forests but also contribute to the sustainable development of the local forestry economy.

In response to the proposals and recommendations of the cooperatives, during a recent inspection of the cooperatives' operations, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De highly appreciated the spirit of innovation, dynamism, daring to think and dare to do of many cooperatives. However, the cooperative sector in the province still faces many difficulties, especially in terms of investment capital for development. Some cooperatives do not have stable headquarters, lack working equipment, and have limited management, operation and application of digital technology.

Therefore, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Van De said: "In the coming time, departments and branches need to coordinate to advise the province on appropriate mechanisms and policies, especially capital support for cooperatives to gradually remove difficulties and obstacles, expand production scale, meet the needs of farmers; create conditions for cooperatives to access technology infrastructure, management software, e-commerce, traceability... At the same time, it is necessary to focus on training and fostering digital skills for cooperative staff to improve management capacity".

The cooperative economy, with the core being cooperatives, is showing great potential in promoting modern and sustainable agricultural production in the province. In order for cooperatives to not only stop at the role of "extended arms" of farmers but also become an important "link" in the agricultural and forestry value chain, it is necessary to have more synchronous support from mechanisms, policies to technical infrastructure and investment capital. At that time, cooperatives will truly become the pioneering force in the construction of new, improved rural areas and sustainable rural economic development.