The Vietnam Cooperative Alliance recently held a ceremony to honor 100 cooperatives that won the "CoopStar Awards" in 2024. The Dong Thanh Agricultural General Service Cooperative (Dong Thanh Cooperative) in Dong Ha City was the only unit from Quang Tri province to receive this award.
Mr. Pham Van Quan (center), representing Dong Thanh Cooperative, receives the 2024 Cooperative Star Award at the awards ceremony - Photo: Provided by the interviewee.
Typical cooperative
The cooperative that won the "CoopStar Awards" in 2024 was evaluated based on criteria including production and business results, building a sustainable value chain towards green consumption, and applying science and technology . Dong Thanh Cooperative fully and comprehensively met all of the above criteria.
Dong Thanh Cooperative was established in 1981. In 2007, it was selected by the People's Committee of Dong Ha City as a model advanced cooperative. According to the assessment of the Provincial Cooperative Union, this is a cooperative covering the entire ward, operating in a comprehensive, multi-sectoral manner, including crops and livestock. Infrastructure has been invested in to ensure efficient production and business. Dong Thanh Cooperative currently offers 11 services (production process guidance, irrigation, plant protection, supply of fertilizers and seedlings, internal credit, construction of small-scale irrigation and transportation infrastructure, afforestation, agricultural extension and technology transfer, harvesting, and land preparation).
These include four non-profit services (seedlings, agricultural extension and technology transfer, plant protection, and production process guidance) aimed at supporting members and the community. In 2023, Dong Thanh Cooperative achieved revenue of over 2.85 billion VND and a profit of nearly 588 million VND.
Some notable activities of Dong Thanh Cooperative - Photo: ML
To manage and organize production for 570 members on nearly 424 hectares of cultivated land each year (320 hectares of rice/2 crops, 95 hectares of aquaculture, 7.55 hectares of forestry), and to implement 11 services in an orderly and efficient manner, the Board of Directors of Dong Thanh Cooperative has established production teams and specialized teams to serve the cooperative's service needs.
Currently, the cooperative has a pumping station operation team (4 people), an irrigation team (18 people), an agricultural extension team (12 people), a plant protection team (3 people), a construction team (5 people), a land preparation service team (26 people), and a harvesting service team (6 people). “The cooperative regulates activities through these teams to ensure tight management, assigning the right people to the right tasks. Workers in each team are assigned specific duties, allowing them to be proactive in production and business, ensuring professionalism,” shared Mr. Pham Van Quan, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of Dong Thanh Cooperative.
Rejuvenating the team
One of the key factors contributing to the innovation and improved operational efficiency of Dong Thanh Cooperative is the rejuvenation of its leadership and management team. With their youthful energy and solid training, they are adept and dynamic in managing and operating production and business activities according to the new cooperative model.
For example, Mr. Pham Van Quan (born in 1989) is one of the three young officials of the cooperative. He is also one of those who have grown through the province's cooperative official training policy after receiving partial funding to study for four years at Hue University of Economics. "Coming from an agricultural family, after graduating I worked as an agricultural extension officer in the ward. I only started working at the cooperative in 2015, so I understand the area and the people, and have knowledge of the field I'm responsible for, which makes my work easier," Mr. Quan explained.
Previously, the people in the cooperative were accustomed to traditional production methods, so many were hesitant when new scientific and technological advancements were introduced. Understanding this, the cooperative's board members divided the area (the ward had 11 neighborhoods, later merged into 5) but still assigned officers to be responsible for the old areas. This allowed for easier group meetings and dissemination of information, tailored to the specific characteristics and production practices of each region, thus fostering greater consensus.
In providing services, the cooperative attracts members to use services by improving quality and prioritizing members' interests. For example, with fertilizer supply services, to compete in the market, the cooperative connects directly with Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company to obtain products at the source, ensuring both quality and the lowest possible price. The Board of Directors also agreed to sell fertilizer to members at the original price that the cooperative imports from the company's production warehouse if members pay immediately after purchase. In case members pay on credit, the price will be based on market value (with a repayment period of 6 months and preferential interest rates).
Forming specialized production zones
According to Mr. Cap Kim Thanh, Chairman of the Provincial Cooperative Union, Dong Thanh Cooperative has achieved many important results in agricultural production, initially forming a production area suitable for the cultivation conditions of each type of crop and livestock, creating a commodity production area to meet market demand. This has created jobs, facilitated the development of household economies, and actively contributed to the construction and development of welfare infrastructure, helping to alleviate poverty in the locality.
According to the sectoral structure, among the 100 outstanding cooperatives that won the Cooperative Star Award this year, there are 60 agricultural cooperatives, 28 non-agricultural cooperatives, and 12 people's credit funds. The award is organized to honor cooperative models in production and business that are humane and contribute to social progress. It also recognizes the self-reliance, hard work, creativity, and perseverance of cooperative communities in overcoming difficulties for the development of the collective economy. The awards ceremony helps to strongly promote exemplary cooperative models, inspiring the aspirations of cooperatives in the development journey of the homeland and the country in the era of integration. |
One of the highlights of Dong Thanh Cooperative is its success in leveraging support from the city and local programs and projects to invest in infrastructure for production (land leveling, construction of electricity systems, wells, water tanks, and sprinkler irrigation systems) and organizing technical training courses to guide members in producing vegetables and fruits according to food safety and hygiene standards.
From a pilot project of 3 hectares of concentrated safe vegetable cultivation, the cooperative now has 25 hectares dedicated to safe vegetable production, including 5 hectares cultivated according to VietGAP standards, with 150 member households participating in production. “The pilot model of clean vegetable production has yielded significantly higher economic returns compared to traditional production, while also creating jobs and increasing income for members. Therefore, members of the cooperative are motivated to participate. To date, the cooperative's specialized vegetable growing area applies sprinkler irrigation technology, allowing for off-season vegetable cultivation, bringing in an average income of over 500 million VND/hectare/year. Some households that diligently apply science and technology and rotate crops achieve even higher incomes,” Mr. Quan informed.
In 2016, through various information channels, the cooperative learned about some new machinery that was very convenient for land preparation in vegetable production, so they contacted the supplier to organize a workshop and conduct a practical demonstration on local farmland.
Following this workshop, many people invested in purchasing tillage machines for vegetable production, thus reducing manual labor, increasing the turnover rate of crops, and consequently increasing income. Alongside developing vegetable and fruit production, the cooperative also facilitated and encouraged members to develop additional agricultural occupations suitable to the natural conditions and labor resources of each household.
Currently, the cooperative has 26 households specializing in bean sprout production, with an average daily output of about 1.2 tons of commercial bean sprouts; and 36 households growing various types of mushrooms, with a total output of 25-27 tons per year, creating a significant additional source of income for the families.
Besides production and business activities, the cooperative also actively participates in activities to support its members and the community.
Every year, Dong Thanh Cooperative allocates 50 million VND from its "Production Development Fund" to support members in investing in upgrading and improving crop varieties; and assists members in accessing capital from the Provincial Cooperative Union's "Development Support Fund" to purchase machinery and equipment for mechanizing production. As a result, the cooperative currently owns 24 mini-plows, 3 Kubota plows, and 2 combine harvesters.
Implementing the program to concrete rural roads, over the years, nearly 19 km of rural roads have been concreted in the area with a total investment of 5.795 billion VND, of which the cooperative contributed 1.5 billion VND.
Mai Lam
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