Nghe An organizes trade promotion, connecting supply and demand of economic cooperation zones with the whole country.

Overview of the conference. Photo: Thanh Phuc

July 27,Nghe An Cooperative Allianceorganized the "Conference on trade promotion, connecting supply and demand in the cooperative economic sector and cooperatives". Attending the conference were representatives of leaders of a number of departments and branches; cooperative enterprises in the province and the participation of the Cooperative Union of 7 provinces and cities nationwide; a number of enterprises and supermarkets nationwide.

Up to now, the whole province has 840 cooperatives and 177 small-scale handicraft villages. Annually, the collective economic sector contributes about 7.6% to the province's GDP; the cooperative sector attracts over 60,000 workers, contributing to the development of household economy and promoting the process of building new rural areas in localities.

The cooperative sector attracts over 60,000 workers, contributing to the development of household economy and promoting the process of building new rural areas in localities. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Of the 249 products that achieved3 star OCOPThere are 46 cooperatives and 20 cooperative groups with star-rated products. In recent times, with the participation of all levels and sectors in linking, consuming products and building commodity value chains, the Cooperative Union has actively implemented consulting and supporting member cooperatives through training, loans, supply-demand connection activities, trade promotion... Thanks to that, the cooperative model has been built and developed in association with commodity value chains.

Specifically, in the past 5 years, 4 trade promotion programs connecting supply and demand in the Northern provinces have been organized for 70 cooperatives and craft villages with more than 130 products participating in promotion; 5 inter-provincial fairs, 4 green fairs in the craft village cooperative area; 1 rural market session with 20 participating units has been organized. At the same time, regularly updating, promoting and selling products on the Cooperative Union's electronic information system; 6 agricultural and food product stores have been built.

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Bich - Director of the Support Center, Hanoi City Cooperative Alliance shares experiences on connecting output for products in the cooperative economic sector. Photo: Thanh Phuc

Conference on Trade Promotion, Supply - Demand ConnectionThis is an opportunity for cooperatives, businesses and distributors to meet, exchange, share experiences, learn about market information; together discuss and find solutions to promote production, improve product quality; apply science and technology; find output and connect supply and demand, develop distribution systems to serve the consumption needs of local people, and move towards reaching out to domestic and international markets.

At the conference, representatives of enterprises, production and trading establishments, and cooperatives shared issues related to production, application of high technology in product manufacturing, and linking product consumption; presented difficulties in managing and operating cooperatives, supporting product consumption, and expressed the desire to connect supply and demand.

Delegates visited and learned about the booths of businesses and cooperatives displayed at the conference. Photo: Thanh Phuc

The conference also discussed and pointed out the limitations of cooperatives in trade promotion activities, connecting supply and demand: The promotion of goods and products of enterprises and cooperatives is still limited in scale and quantity; many products of craft villages and cooperatives do not meet market standards and norms; Market research activities are still limited; the number of enterprises playing the leading role in promoting farmers to connect with each other is not much...

Accordingly, in the coming time, cooperatives need to expand their scale; increase the application of technology in production; have good access to capital sources, promote joint ventures and associations with enterprises to implement the production-to-consumption value chain; continue to pay attention to implementing well the work of connecting supply and demand, promoting trade and building brands; proactively advise the province on specific policies in trade promotion, connecting supply and demand; organize training courses for cooperative leaders and administrators; pay attention to building and establishing provincial-level OCOP cooperatives.

Signing of principle contracts and memorandums of understanding between cooperatives and enterprises of provinces and cities. Photo: Thanh Phuc

At the conference, a signing ceremony of cooperation documents took place between representatives of enterprises and cooperatives. On the sidelines of the conference, enterprises and cooperatives had booths to display products.