Promoting the role of Cooperatives in applying science and technology in ethnic minority areas

Collective economy (KTTT), with the core being cooperatives (HTX) and cooperative groups (THT), is increasingly asserting its key role in agricultural development and new rural construction in Khanh Hoa. Especially in mountainous communes, cooperatives are not only a bridge to help ethnic minorities (EMs) link production and consumption of agricultural products but also an effective channel for transferring and applying science and technology (S&T).

This is considered a strategic direction, fully exploiting local advantages, promoting socio -economic development and creating a solid foundation for sustainable poverty reduction.

Support ethnic minorities to participate in the commodity value chain and gradually get rich

The National Target Program for Socio-Economic Development of Ethnic Minority and Mountainous Areas for the 2021-2030 period has created a new vitality for the mountainous areas with many difficulties in Khanh Hoa . Not only building infrastructure, the Program also arouses the spirit, will, and thinking, helping people to proactively rise up, create sustainable livelihoods and accelerate the process of hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

Khanh Son commune (Khanh Hoa) and neighboring communes are currently considered the "capital" of fruit trees in the South Central region, possessing nearly 5,000 hectares of agricultural land, of which more than 3,300 hectares are dedicated to fruit trees with high economic value such as durian, green-skinned grapefruit, rambutan, and tangerine. To optimize revenue from these specialty trees, the role of cooperatives in applying science and technology is considered one of the important factors.

Many cooperatives have proactively converted from traditional farming methods to high-tech applications: Using water-saving drip irrigation technology, semi-automatic greenhouses, sensors to monitor humidity and temperature, along with the use of organic microbial fertilizers.

Thanks to that, agricultural products have stable quality, reduce pests and diseases, and meet the strict requirements of domestic and international markets. The clearest evidence is that 13/15 durian growing area codes licensed for official export to China all originate from cooperatives and cooperative groups, showing the outstanding efficiency of scientific production organization and sustainable linkage.

Many cooperatives have proactively connected agricultural products with e-commerce platforms, supermarkets and modern retail systems, helping products have stable output and higher selling prices. Photo: Dang Tuan

The application of science and technology not only helps people in mountainous areas and ethnic minorities save costs, increase productivity and limit weather risks, but also changes consumption channels. Instead of depending on traders, many cooperatives have proactively connected agricultural products with e-commerce platforms, supermarkets and modern retail systems, helping products have stable output and higher selling prices. Increased income has created conditions for people to reinvest, improve their lives and escape the vicious cycle of "good harvest, low price". This is the path to sustainable poverty reduction, helping ethnic minorities not only have enough food and clothing but also participate in the commodity value chain and gradually get rich.

"Support" from the Cooperative Alliance

Despite their great potential, mountainous cooperatives still face "bottlenecks" in terms of small scale, limited capital, lack of technology-savvy managers and low access to science and technology. To address these challenges, Khanh Hoa province and the Provincial Cooperative Union have supported the establishment of 12 new cooperatives, built online product markets, organized connecting markets and provided funding for agricultural value chain development. Thanks to this support, many key products such as green-skinned grapefruit, durian, and rambutan of mountainous cooperatives have met VietGAP and OCOP standards and appeared in major supermarkets, contributing to fundamentally changing production thinking and enhancing the brand of local agricultural products.

The development of collective economy in Khanh Hoa not only brings economic benefits but also has a profound social impact. In many mountainous communes, cooperatives have become a "fulcrum" connecting the community, helping ethnic minorities change their mindset from small-scale, fragmented production to a systematic way of doing things, following technical processes. People not only learn how to apply science and technology but also access knowledge of economic management and business skills, creating a fundamental change in the way they approach the market.

In the future, the development of collective economy associated with the application of science and technology and digital transformation will help mountainous cooperatives stand firm in the face of competition. Khanh Hoa's orientation is to transform not only "agricultural production" but also to advance to "agricultural economy", closely linking production, processing, consumption and ecotourism. Many cooperatives have proactively built brands, registered collective trademarks, and even connected with ecotourism and agricultural experiences to promote products right in the garden.

Practice in Khanh Hoa has confirmed that cooperatives and cooperative groups in ethnic minority areas are effective "leverages" in organizing production, applying science and technology, increasing income and sustainably reducing poverty. When the "bottlenecks" in capital, human resources and infrastructure are removed, the mountainous collective economy will become an important driving force to promote local socio-economic development, while contributing to the goal of building a modern, green and sustainable agriculture.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/phat-huy-vai-tro-cua-hop-tac-xa-trong-ung-dung-khoa-hoc-cong-nghe-tai-vung-dong-bao-dan-toc-thieu-so-10397189.html