Replicating effective cooperative models in Quan Hoa district

Participating in forest product processing cooperatives helps households in Phu Nghiem commune (Quan Hoa) increase their income.

The district has applied many policies of the Central and the province to create favorable conditions, encourage and support cooperatives to develop production and business. Thanks to that, most cooperatives in Quan Hoa district were established and operated based on practical needs, contributing to creating jobs and increasing income for local workers.

Song Ma Forestry Processing Cooperative, Phu Nghiem Commune, was established in 2007, specializing in the production of products from wood, bamboo, rattan, and reed. After nearly 20 years of establishment, the cooperative has become the largest forest product processing unit in Quan Hoa District. Mr. Le Van Binh, Director of Song Ma Forestry Processing Cooperative, said: “Bamboo, reed, and rattan cover the entire Quan Hoa district. The entire district currently has nearly 28,000 hectares of bamboo forests and about 7,000 hectares of bamboo, reed, and rattan forests mixed with bamboo, reed, and rattan forests under the management of Pu Hu Nature Reserve and Pu Luong Nature Reserve. Taking advantage of and effectively exploiting local resources, the Cooperative was established to connect member households with large bamboo and reed forests to participate in forest product processing. To date, the Cooperative has 140 official members and hundreds of associate members. With a suitable production and business plan, the annual revenue of the Cooperative reaches tens of billions of VND, bringing stable income to member households and creating jobs and stable income for hundreds of local workers.” To develop sustainable production and business, Song Ma Forestry Processing Cooperative has invested tens of billions of VND in building factories and modern machinery. In addition, in early 2023, the Cooperative invested more than 1 billion VND to install a generator system, an automatic fire extinguishing system, and signs at many locations in the workshops.

Quan Hoa Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Service Development Cooperative, Hoi Xuan Town, was established in 2022 with 13 members and a charter capital of 3.9 billion VND. The Cooperative has built a streamlined management apparatus and dynamic staff. At the same time, the Cooperative has completed its model in the direction of comprehensive business, combining services with production, processing, and industry development. Most members of the Cooperative proactively apply technical advances to production, sign production contracts, and consume products. After 3 years of operation, the Cooperative has successfully developed the 3-star OCOP product Vu Nghi Khau Nhuc with good consumption in the market, with annual revenue reaching 4 - 5 billion VND.

Quan Hoa district currently has 22 cooperatives with 491 members. Of these, there are 5 forestry processing cooperatives, 1 aquaculture cooperative, and 16 agricultural service cooperatives with the task of general irrigation and drainage for rice fields. After converting their operations according to the 2012 Law on Cooperatives, most of the local cooperatives have operated in the form of production organizations on a household scale. According to the assessment of the People's Committee of Quan Hoa district, in general, the cooperatives in the area have developed stably, with 10 cooperatives operating well, 8 cooperatives operating fairly well, 4 cooperatives operating averagely, and no cooperatives operating poorly. Of which, the general cooperatives and agricultural and forestry product processing cooperatives have attracted a large number of members and achieved higher revenue and profits. For irrigation service cooperatives, in addition to enjoying the policy of supporting public irrigation services, cooperatives are also proactive in developing a number of competitive services, such as supplying production materials, transferring technical advances, and finding links to consume agricultural products for people. Typical examples include: Nam Tien commune irrigation service cooperative; Phu Nghiem commune irrigation service cooperative.

Based on the annual assessment of the quality of cooperative operations, Quan Hoa district has selected a number of typical cooperative models with innovations in operating methods, application of technical advances in production, increased competitiveness, and promotion of local strengths for replication and development. This not only encourages and commends units with effective operations, but also helps cooperatives overcome shortcomings and inadequacies, promote strengths, and open up new directions in line with market trends.

In order to replicate the effective cooperative model, in the coming time, Quan Hoa district will focus on coordinating with the Provincial Cooperative Union and related units to organize training programs for cooperative managers to improve their capacity in management, production, business and market access. At the same time, continue to apply preferential policies, especially credit policies of the Central and the province to support cooperatives to expand their production and business scale.

Article and photos: Thuy Chau

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nhan-rong-mo-hinh-htx-hoat-dong-nbsp-hieu-qua-tren-dia-ban-huyen-quan-hoa-249217.htm