Nghe An: Creating a sustainable chain of links in cooperative development

(Baonghean) - Promoting trade promotion activities is one of the key tasks of the Provincial Cooperative Union. To achieve that goal, cooperatives and cooperative groups must create a sustainable chain of links.

Visit the booth displaying safe agricultural products of Xanh Mart Vinh. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Strengthen trade promotion

Identifying the enhancement of trade promotion activities as an important factor contributing to improving the operational efficiency of cooperatives, as a bridge to promote cooperation opportunities between enterprises, distributors and consumers... in recent years, the Nghe An Provincial Cooperative Union has had many positive solutions. Many policy groups have been consulted for implementation by all levels, sectors and localities, focusing on supporting production and business of cooperative members to find markets, promote their image and improve the efficiency of production and business activities.

The Provincial Cooperative Union has coordinated with the Department of Industry and Trade and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to implement the Trade Promotion Program to create a legal basis to support members in general and cooperatives, craft villages and member units to participate in trade promotion fairs in and outside the province.

In 2017, the Provincial Cooperative Union coordinated with the sectors to organize 2 trips for enterprises, craft villages and cooperatives to participate in trade fairs in provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Quang Binh, etc. Thereby, gradually improving the production and business capacity of enterprises and cooperatives.

Through trade promotion activities, it has created conditions for member units to promote and introduce typical, characteristic and key products of Nghe An province to a large number of consumers and business communities nationwide.

Ms. Ho Thi Dieu Thuy - Director of Thanh Thuy Cooperative, Nam Thanh Commune, Nam Dan District, said: In April 2017, the Cooperative was facilitated by the Provincial Cooperative Union to participate in the national agricultural fair. Through the fair, the Cooperative's embroidery products were known to many customers. In addition to selling many products, there were also customers who wanted to cooperate in production and business with the Cooperative. Therefore, since participating in the fair, the number of Cooperative's embroidery products sold is higher than before, so the members of the Cooperative have more jobs and higher income.

In the future, Thanh Thuy Cooperative will continue to participate in other major fairs to introduce and promote its products to domestic and foreign customers. According to Ms. Thuy, in order for Nghe An agricultural and handicraft products to reach domestic and foreign customers, the Provincial Cooperative Union needs to further strengthen trade promotion activities, acting as a bridge for cooperatives and cooperative groups to have the opportunity to introduce and promote their products.

Recently, the Provincial Cooperative Union has also promoted the establishment of the Nghe An Safe Agricultural and Food Production and Consumption Cooperative Union and organized the launching ceremony and opening of the booth displaying and introducing Xanh Mart Vinh products.

According to Mr. Le Phuc An - Chairman of the Provincial Cooperative Union: The establishment of the Nghe An Safe Agricultural Products and Food Cooperative Union is a turning point, demonstrating the need to link cooperatives from production to consumption. Promoting the formation and implementation of cooperative unions and new-style cooperatives is an important foundational factor in the breakthrough restructuring of agriculture, improving the competitiveness of agriculture and increasing sustainable income for farmers.

This is the premise for building more production chains, minimizing the situation of agricultural products "having good harvest but falling prices", bringing many benefits to producers.

Broom production in Thanh Linh commune (Thanh Chuong). Photo: Nguyen Van Ly

Improve product quality

Currently, the province has over 616 cooperatives operating in the fields of agriculture, industry - handicrafts and trade and services. The activities of trade and service cooperatives are linked to the consumption needs of members and people of all walks of life.

Small-scale handicraft cooperatives have focused on resources to invest in expanding production scale, innovating technology and equipment, applying technical advances to improve product quality, increase labor productivity, expand markets, attract and create jobs and stable income for members and workers.

However, according to Mr. Le Phuc An - Chairman of the Provincial Cooperative Union, currently trade promotion activities are still isolated, small-scale, and have not attracted many businesses and production establishments to participate. After 5 years of implementing the 2012 Cooperative Law, many cooperatives have converted to new models, focusing on commodity production. In addition, many cooperatives have not focused on building product brands, so product competitiveness is not high, and have not attracted consumers...

In order to continue to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of trade promotion activities, in the coming time, the Provincial Cooperative Union will focus on implementing the following solutions: Continue to promote propaganda to raise awareness of the role of trade promotion activities in the effectiveness of production and business processes, creating proactive and positive participation in trade promotion activities of member enterprises and cooperatives in the area;

Actively coordinate with relevant departments and branches to organize member units to participate in Fairs inside and outside the province; advise the Provincial People's Committee to issue Decision No. 3005/QD-UBND dated July 6, 2017 on promulgating the plan to organize Green Fairs for agricultural products, handicrafts in cooperatives and craft villages at the end of 2017. Continue to support and open training courses to improve the management and operation capacity of cooperatives, contributing to promoting efficiency in production and business.

With the support of the Provincial Cooperative Union, the effective coordination of authorities at all levels, relevant departments and sectors, in addition to promoting production activities, cooperatives and member enterprises must pay more attention to improving product quality, increasing competitiveness, and conforming to global trade trends. In that process, strengthening the chain of economic components in production and product consumption is the core factor creating the efficiency and strength of cooperatives and cooperative groups.

Xuan Hoang