A nursery for seedlings belonging to the Ngọc Thạch Agricultural Co-operative in Cầu Ngang District’s Nhị Trường Commune in Trà Vinh Province. – VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Hoà

TRÀ VINH – Trà Vinh Province plans to develop 10 new co-operatives in various sectors this year, giving priority to agriculture, according to its Co-operative Alliance.

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province established 11 new co-operatives last year, taking its total number to 165, 122 of them agricultural.

However, most of them face difficulties, especially the agricultural ones, according to the alliance.

Last year 15 co-operatives were dissolved because of inefficient operations, capital shortage or lack of efficiencies of scale or linkages with companies.

Many do not have diversified trading and services models and cannot meet their members’ demands to develop production.

Many do not have brand names or geographical indication for their products, and do not produce to Vietnamese or global good agricultural practices standards.

Some do not operate as new-style co-operatives that require their members to use same materials for production, make same products and use uniform production processes.

Many products have high value but the co-operatives do not invest in packaging or labelling to participate in the national “One Commune-One Product” programme.

Thái Phước Lộc, chairman of the alliance, said the province administration has ordered his agency to help co-operatives access support policies, soft loans and advanced technologies.

That would help them develop, link up with companies and expand, he said.

The alliance plans to apprise co-operatives about trade promotion and advertising and using advanced techniques and organise visits for them to efficient co-operatives in other provinces and cities to learn from them.

It will help agricultural co-operatives develop farming models with value chains and produce high-quality products.

Local authorities will help agricultural co-operatives participate in the province’s socio-economic development projects and national programmes on building new-style rural areas, providing vocational skills and creating jobs and a quality workforce.

Improving members’ incomes

Effective co-operatives in the province have helped improve members’ incomes and create jobs in rural areas, and played a significant role in implementing national target programmes.

The Ngọc Thạch Agricultural Co-operative in Cầu Ngang District’s Nhị Trường Commune sells fertilisers, plant protection chemicals and rice seeds, helps farmers grow crops and guarantees outlets for them.

Four years after its establishment it has 40 members, 90 per cent of them ethnic Khmer, who grow 100ha of rice, corn for seeds and vegetables.

According to Thạch Dươne, its director, the co-operative sells quality materials for growing crops to its members and this helps them reduce costs.

It also instructs them in farming techniques and secures outlets that fetch prices that are 20-30 per cent higher than in the market.

Members earn average profits of VNĐ20 million (US$820) per hectare per crop from rice and VNĐ30-35 million ($1,200-1,400) from vegetables.

These are VNĐ5-10 million ($200-400) higher than before they joined the co-operative.

“The co-operative is in the process of registering a production code for its rice growing area for exports,” he said.

Lê Văn Phi, head of the Cầu Ngang Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development, said co-operatives made a major contribution to the district’s socio-economic development and effort to build new-style rural areas.

Agricultural co-operatives have linked up with companies in various provinces to secure stable prices and outlets for their members.

The Ngũ Lạc Organic Agricultural Co-operative in Duyên Hải District’s Ngũ Lạc Commune has 56 members and has linked with companies in Trà Vinh and other provinces and cities.

Lâm Thành Cảnh, its director, said the co-operative had signed contracts with three companies to supply corn and okra seeds since 2022.

“[With the farm contracts], farmers feel secure and focus on tending their crops to improve yields and quality.” – VNS