The main driving force for this comprehensive change is the core role of the cooperative model, where ethnic minorities, mainly Tay and Nung, reorganize production, apply science and technology and master e-commerce tools. Cooperatives not only help farmers transform from simple producers into modern businessmen but also build local specialties such as custard apple, star anise, and tobacco into a sustainable source of income, aiming for high quality standards and affirming their position in the market.
Creating value chains through cooperative models
Chi Lang is now known as the "capital of custard apples in the North" with an area exceeding 2,300 hectares, bringing in an output of about 20,000 tons/year and a revenue of hundreds of billions of VND. This is considered the result of the transformation of thinking and production methods through the activities of local cooperatives. Cooperatives act as central "organizers", gathering farmers into large-scale commodity production areas.
This role includes providing controlled inputs, transferring advanced technical processes, and ensuring stable output. A typical example is the Dong Mo Agricultural Production and Service Cooperative, where 90% of its members are ethnic minorities. Before joining the cooperative, people often grew custard apples based on experience, leading to a situation of "a good harvest but low prices".
However, when participating in this linkage model, they were instructed on fruit wrapping techniques and scientific care according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. This change not only helps custard apples to be bigger and more beautiful, but also sells for twice the price as before. The proof is that many ethnic minority farming households have achieved an income of up to 150 million VND/year just from custard apple trees.
Cooperatives play an important role in transforming the crop structure of the mountainous ethnic minority region of Chi Lang. Photo: PV
Not only stopping at custard apple trees, cooperatives have also expanded their models to other commercial crops. Bang Mac Agricultural Service Cooperative is an example when it has linked tobacco production with large enterprises, bringing a stable income of 150-300 million VND/ha/year to the Tay and Nung people. This link not only ensures stable output but also provides technical support, seeds and fertilizers, helping ethnic minorities feel secure in production. Many cooperative members, after having a stable income, have continued to invest in expanding to star anise and custard apple growing and developing a comprehensive economic model of garden-pond-cage (VAC), creating a more comprehensive and sustainable source of income.
The cooperative is also an on-site "training center", which organizes regular training sessions to help ethnic minorities shift from a fragmented production mindset to a market economy mindset, improving their ability to manage and control product quality. This not only creates OCOP-standard products but also helps Chi Lang build a solid agricultural brand in the market.
Cooperative - Digital bridge, bringing highland products to e-commerce platforms
The most powerful transformation of ethnic minorities in Chi Lang commune is the mastery of information technology and e-commerce. This field, which used to be considered "strange" to people in the highlands, has now become a familiar business tool thanks to the strong support from cooperatives and the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, and the Lang Son Provincial Cooperative Alliance.
The Vietnam Cooperative Alliance and the Lang Son Provincial Cooperative Alliance have implemented dozens of practical training courses right at the grassroots level, focusing on essential contents such as smartphone usage skills, product photography, opening accounts and creating digital booths on major e-commerce platforms such as Postmart, Voso, Shopee, and livestream sales skills. This is considered a revolution in awareness and business methods.
Ms. Luong Thi Huong, a member of Dong Mo Cooperative, happily recounted: "Before, I didn't know how to use a smartphone. Now, thanks to the training, I know how to take product photos, respond to customers online, and close orders. I didn't expect that ethnic people like me could also sell online like everyone else!"
The participation of cooperatives has helped to remove geographical barriers and technical levels. Le Loi Agricultural Service Cooperative is a typical example when it brings hill chicken, clean pineapple, and dry Shan Tuyet tea to e-commerce platforms and social networks. Thanks to that, the products are not only consumed in the district but also reach big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. The application of technology also promotes transparency: the cooperative encourages the use of traceability software, creating strong confidence for consumers in the quality and origin of highland agricultural products.
It can be seen that the cooperative is not only a place to organize production but also a center for digital transformation at the grassroots level, turning each ethnic minority member into an agricultural entrepreneur who knows how to master technology, thereby increasing product value and expanding the consumption market in a sustainable way.
The development of cooperatives in Chi Lang commune has clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of organizing centralized production associated with digital transformation. From custard apple trees to star anise trees, ethnic minorities have been affirming their proactive role in the modernization of agriculture.
With the companionship of cooperatives and strategic support from the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance and the Lang Son Provincial Cooperative Alliance, Chi Lang commune is gradually becoming a model of sustainable economic development, actively contributing to the goal of multidimensional poverty reduction and improving the quality of life for ethnic minorities in the northern border region of the country.
Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/lang-son-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-xa-chi-lang-tung-buoc-vuon-len-lam-chu-kinh-te-10397499.html
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