New-style cooperatives in Nghia Dan

(Baonghean) - Nghia Dan district currently has 11 agricultural cooperatives, including one operating under the 2012 Cooperative Law: Phu Quy Cooperative in Nghia Hieu commune. Although newly established, Phu Quy Cooperative has proven its role as a support system for its members. This includes sharing production experiences, applying scientific and technological advancements, and finding markets for their products.

Members of the cooperative exchange experiences in production.

Nghia Dan has many advantages for developing agricultural products, therefore the role of supporting and linking groups in production and consumption to create profits for farmers becomes important. The transformation of old-style cooperatives into new-style cooperatives is a leverage and an inevitable direction that Nghia Dan encourages.

Currently, a new type of cooperative, the Phu Quy Cooperative in Nghia Hieu commune, has been established in the district. Despite its recent founding, the Phu Quy Cooperative has become an intermediary connecting farmers and businesses. Currently, the cooperative has 10 members, primarily engaged in the production and sale of citrus fruits such as pomelo, oranges, and tangerines. By joining the cooperative, members have received support in sharing experiences in citrus cultivation and finding markets for their products.

Mr. Nguyen Hung, a member of the cooperative in Trung Tam hamlet, Nghia Hieu commune, shared: "For farmers, having increased yields, large production, and stable product output is reassuring. Joining the cooperative has helped us achieve that goal, so we are very excited." In 2015, Mr. Hung's family had 1 hectare of oranges. Compared to previous years, the area of ​​orange trees remained unchanged, but the methods of cultivation, care, and marketing have changed. Thanks to the cooperative's introduction, the price of oranges is higher and more stable. Mr. Nguyen Hung also added: "Within the cooperative, there is always sharing of experience, not everyone doing their own thing like before. We also receive assistance with techniques and fertilizers. Especially in terms of output, in the cooperative, we all meet to discuss and find markets, so we don't fear price manipulation like when working individually."

Besides planting trees, Phu Quy Cooperative also propagates and sells citrus saplings to people in the area.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Director of Phu Quy Cooperative, boldly took the lead in finding suitable varieties, markets, and creating a brand for Huong Quang pomelos, then expanding this practice to other households within the cooperative. In addition, members regularly exchange and help each other with pomelo cultivation techniques and long-term strategies to associate the pomelo product with the cooperative's name. To date, Phu Quy Cooperative has the joy of having its pomelos available at Big C Vinh supermarket, and also selling in Hanoi, Da Nang, Quang Binh, and other locations. The cooperative continues to build its brand and promote its products.

Thanks to mutual support within the cooperative, production has become much easier. Currently, each member earns between 200 and 250 million VND per year, and the cooperative earns over 2 billion VND annually. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Director of Phu Quy Cooperative, said: "When we were established, the cooperative had many advantages such as close links and mutual support in experience, technology, and market access. Families worked together to find markets for their products, the cooperative occasionally held meetings, and the agricultural department came to transfer some technical technologies."

The pomelo products of Phu Quy Cooperative have established a brand.

Nghia Dan district is continuing to transform the Dai Dong and Dai Thang cooperatives in Nghia Hoi commune into the Dong Thang Cooperative. Recognizing Nghia Hoi as an agricultural commune, particularly with large areas of cultivated crops, the Dong Thang Cooperative focuses on trading and supplying fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides to meet the needs of farmers. In addition, the Dong Thang Cooperative also undertakes environmental work throughout the commune, collecting waste from all hamlets.

Mr. Nguyen Huy Anh, Deputy Head of the Agriculture Department of Nghia Dan District, added: Nghia Dan is primarily an agricultural district, so cooperatives mainly focus on the production and sale of agricultural products. During the transition process, Nghia Dan faced many difficulties; however, converting cooperatives to operate under the 2012 Cooperative Law is an essential need and beneficial to farmers. Regarding the plan for cooperative conversion, Nghia Dan previously had 11 cooperatives, including Phu Quy Cooperative, which operated under the 2012 Cooperative Law. The district is currently directing the conversion of Dai Dong and Dai Thang Cooperatives, and based on that, will expand cooperatives throughout Nghia Dan.

Dinh Thuy