Organic pineapple planted on a 2.6ha area on a trial basis by the Thạnh Xuân Pineapple Co-operative in Vị Thanh City, Hậu Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Hằng

HẬU GIANG — Hậu Giang Province is promoting the collective economy, especially co-operatives, assigning it an important role in its socio-economic development.

The province’s Co-operative Alliance aims to establish 16 new co-operatives and 30 co-operative groups this year.

It would also develop five new co-operative models that use advanced techniques and have value chains for producing the province’s key products, it said.

Many agricultural co-operatives in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province have developed linkages with other stakeholders and grow products to Vietnamese and global good agricultural practices (GAP) standards, using modern facilities and machinery for the purpose.

The Bửu Long – Long Ngọc Hoàng Co-operative in Phụng Hiệp District, which has 56 members, grows 120ha of pineapple to GlobalGAP standards and has tie-ups to guarantee the sale of its harvests.

It also plans to produce pineapple juice, jam and wine to increase value, according to Nguyễn Văn Lam, its director.

Members hope to get training to learn advanced techniques for producing them, he added.

Many co-operatives in the province have developed their products under the country’s “One Commune – One Product” (OCOP) programme.

Kỳ Thư Co-operative in Phụng Hiệp District makes featherback fish paste products and has 10 of them recognised as four-star OCOP products.

It produces around 1,000 tonnes a year, and sells them to shops and supermarkets across Việt Nam and also exports to the US.

It has developed clean production chains for its products from choosing fish fry for breeding to processing, and this ensures food safety and reduces costs.

Nguyễn Kim Thuỳ, director of the co-operative, said: “I will continue to invest in production facilities and tighten the closed, clean and safe production chain so that all products meet five-star OCOP product standards [highest star level].”

Hậu Giang’s key agricultural products are rice, seedless lime, Cầu Đúc pineapple, jackfruit, and featherback fish.

The province has 252 OCOP products rated between three and four stars, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Improvement

Hậu Giang has more than 230 co-operatives in various sectors, with agricultural co-operatives accounting for 86 per cent.

Thirty were established last year, including 24 agricultural co-operatives.

But the number of co-operatives using advanced production techniques is small, according to the Co-operative Alliance.

The management skills of many managers are limited and there is a lack of close linkages among co-operatives and with companies, it said.

Hồ Văn Phú, chairman of the alliance, said the alliance would inspect co-operatives and take measures to improve their quality.

It would proactively help co-operatives revamp their operations and improve the capacity of their managers, he said.

It would evaluate and replicate effective co-operative modes, mobilise resources for training human resources, promote trade, and participate in the distribution systems of co-operative groups, co-operatives and co-operative unions, he added. — VNS