An asparagus field of the Tuấn Tú General Service Co-operative in Ninh Phước District’s An Hải Commune. – VNA/VNS Photo Nguyễn Thành

NINH THUẬN – Agriculture co-operatives in the south-central province of Ninh Thuận have linked up with companies to increase product value and guarantee outlets, the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has said.

Up to 24 of the province’s 63 agriculture co-operatives have linkages with companies to develop value chains for their products like rice, corn, grapes, asparagus and organic cashew nuts.

The 24 co-operatives produce agricultural products on large-scale fields that use advanced farming techniques.

Many products of the co-operatives have been granted international standard certificates from the EU and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Vietnamese good agricultural practices (VietGAP).

The Tuấn Tú General Service Co-operative in Ninh Phước District’s An Hải Commune grows asparagus on a large-scale field to VietGAP standards and has a farm contract with Tiên Tiến Organic Agriculture Farm to guarantee outlets for its members.

Hùng Ky, director of Tuấn Tú, said: “The co-operative supplies loans and fertilisers to its members to grow asparagus and teaches them techniques to produce safe, quality products."

The agriculture co-operatives' products have been included in the country’s "one commune – one product" (OCOP) programme in the province.

OCOP products are commercial products and services such as food and beverages, handicrafts and rural tourism services. They are classified at five levels, with a five – star being the highest level.

Đặng Kim Cương, director of the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and deputy chairman of the appraisal board for the province’s OCOP programme, said that seven co-operatives participated in the province’s OCOP programme last year.

The co-operative’s products like red onion, fresh jujube, dried jujube and asparagus are rated three or four-star OCOP products.

The province is promoting OCOP products in combination with tourism services via co-operatives, companies and households.

The Thái An General Agriculture Service Co-operative in Ninh Hải District’s Vĩnh Hải Commune had its NH01 - 152 grape recognised as a four-star OCOP product last year, and its NH01 - 152 grape growing area has become a tourism destination.

Nguyễn Khắc Phòng, director of Thái An, said the province had assigned the co-operative to expand the cultivation of its NH01 – 152 grape to serve tourism services.

Besides its NH01 – 152 grape, Thái An has other seven products, including dried jujube, dried grape, and fresh red grape and grape wine, granted as three-star OCOP products.

“The co-operative’s OCOP products have created motivation for the co-operative to promote production and expand its market,” he said.

With their effective operation, the provinces’ agriculture co-operatives had an average revenue of VNĐ2.1 billion (US$90,000) and average profit of VNĐ250 million ($10,800) last year, up 9.4 per cent and 13.6 per cent, respectively, against 2019, according to the province’s Co-operative Alliance.

Collective economy 

Ninh Thuận targets that its collective economy will contribute 8.8 – 9 per cent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) this year, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

The province aims to establish 10 – 12 new co-operatives and 10 – 15 new co-operative groups, with a total of 200 – 300 members, this year.

Its goal is to have an average revenue of VNĐ 2.2 – 2.25 billion ($95,000 – 97,200) this year for co-operatives and an average revenue of VNĐ260 – 270 million for co-operative groups.

It also plans to have 50 – 60 per cent of co-operatives operating effectively by 2025, and for the collective economy to contribute 10 – 11 per cent of its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) in 2025.

The province will encourage the development of co-operatives in agriculture, small industry, commerce and services, and promote effective new-style co-operatives, and co-operatives that link up with companies to produce agricultural products on large-scale fields with value chains.

Trần Quốc Nam, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said: “The province will help co-operatives to access the central and local governments’ preferential policies on land, loans, infrastructure, human resource training, and advanced techniques for production.”

It will also arrange trade promotions at home and abroad to expand markets for products of co-operatives.

Ninh Thuận, which has the least rainfall in the country, has developed 12 specifically identified products, including grape, jujube, asparagus, sheep, goat, Cà Ná fish sauce, Mỹ Nghiệp brocade products and Bàu Trúc pottery products. – VNS