A "support system" to help ethnic minorities escape poverty.

Tea products from Hung Anh Agricultural Service Cooperative are popular with consumers. - Photo: LA

Established in 2023 through a collaborative effort in livestock farming, crop cultivation, and civil construction by Mr. Do Van Anh and six friends from the Van Kieu ethnic minority, the Huong Hiep Agricultural Cooperative in Huong Hiep commune now boasts a herd of hundreds of animals, primarily native pigs and mountain goats. These are breeds well-suited to the local climate.

In addition, the cooperative also provides a relatively large source of local medicinal herbs for processing facilities in the area. According to Do Van Anh, Director of Huong Hiep Cooperative, to ensure the sustainable operation of the cooperative, besides production and business, the cooperative always accompanies the people throughout the livestock farming process, from providing breeding stock and technical support to veterinary care and guaranteeing the purchase of their products.

Accordingly, the cooperative is not simply a unit supplying plant and animal breeds to the people; through training and technology transfer activities, cooperative members have gone directly to households, monitored livestock herds, and guided people on techniques for caring for and preventing diseases; they also instruct people on how to care for livestock according to the standards required by the enterprise, enabling them to sign contracts for the purchase of products at high and stable prices from the beginning to the end of the breeding cycle.

Overcoming initial difficulties, the Huong Hiep Agricultural Cooperative has now completed the entire product value chain, from supply to supporting and guaranteeing the purchase of output products for local people. Particularly noteworthy are the native pigs and mountain goats, raised naturally and organically, with high-quality, flavorful meat and high product value, which are highly favored by the market.

As one of the cooperative's livestock farmers, Ms. Ho Thi Chai in Lang Cat village, Huong Hiep commune, shared that since receiving technical guidance and support with piglets from the cooperative, the people have been very enthusiastic. Currently, the farmers are focusing on clean, natural farming methods, without using growth-enhancing powders.

During the breeding process, if the pigs get sick or have any problems, they just need to call and cooperative officials will come to handle it immediately. Therefore, the villagers have great confidence because they receive guaranteed breeding stock and free veterinary care. Thanks to this, one family in the village has sold 20 pigs, bringing in an income of over 20 million VND.

Mr. Ho Van Cong, from Lang Cat village, said that in addition to receiving support with breeding pigs and technical guidance, the cooperative will buy all the piglets born at a price of 100,000-130,000 VND/kg. For disadvantaged families classified as poor and lacking capital, the cooperative even allows them to defer payment for the cost of breeding pigs, which they will repay after successful breeding. Therefore, the villagers are very happy and feel secure.

The livestock farming area of Huong Hiep Agricultural Cooperative is built on a large scale. -Photo: QL

In 2020, Hung Anh Agricultural Services Cooperative was established with the goal of supporting local people, especially ethnic minorities, in planting, caring for, harvesting, producing, and processing rare local herbs into delicious, long-lasting, and commercially viable teas.

According to Nguyen Van Hung, Director of the Cooperative, the unit currently purchases approximately 60 tons of raw materials annually from local residents. Of this, about 50 tons are spices such as ginger, lemongrass, and various local medicinal plants; the remaining 10 tons are grain crops such as peanuts, mung beans, and black beans. From these raw materials, the cooperative processes, packages, and sells them in accordance with regulations on product quality.

In particular, the cooperative has had four herbal tea products certified as OCOP 3-star and 4-star products at the provincial level, such as: *Thạch Thiên Thảo* tea, *Tía Tô* tea, *Trinh Nữ* tea, and *Diệp Thảo Đan* tea. "Currently, the cooperative is expanding its factory, linking with local people to expand the raw material area; and simultaneously researching to bring new products to the market," Mr. Hung added.

The ethnic minority areas in particular, and the mountainous regions of Quang Tri province in general, have many advantages in livestock farming and medicinal plant cultivation. However, due to the small and fragmented land area, large-scale development is not feasible.

Therefore, cooperative and production group models are suitable choices for developing the collective economy. However, for cooperative and production group models to develop sustainably and become a "support system" for people to escape poverty, localities need to define the development of cooperatives and production groups more clearly. This includes prioritizing the application and transfer of science and technology to the people; and promoting policies to support interest rates on loans to create incentives for the sustainable development of cooperatives and production groups.

On the part of cooperatives, they need to be proactive and flexible, understanding the actual needs of the people and the market, and then managing their units to produce quality products. Cooperatives and cooperative groups need to have plans to accompany and support members and people to create a complete supply chain, building trust and credibility for the unit. This will contribute to improving people's lives while helping the unit operate efficiently and sustainably.

Le An - Quach Long

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/be-do-giup-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-thoat-ngheo-195655.htm