Tien Giang: Promoting support for agricultural cooperatives to develop production and business

In order for agricultural cooperatives to develop production and business, in recent times, Tien Giang has created favorable conditions and focused on promoting support with many specific policies. Thereby, the activities of agricultural cooperatives in the province have increasingly changed positively, and operational efficiency has been improved. PROMOTING SUPPORT

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment (DARD) of Tien Giang province, in 2024, the province will establish 8 new agricultural cooperatives. To date, the province has 197 agricultural cooperatives, with 46,840 members and 2 cooperative branches. Of which, 190/197 agricultural cooperatives are classified (10 cooperatives are classified as good, accounting for 5.3%; 125 cooperatives are classified as fair, accounting for 65.8%; 29 cooperatives are classified as average, accounting for 15.3%; 9 cooperatives are classified as weak, accounting for 4.7%; 17 cooperatives have ceased operations, accounting for 8.9% and the remaining 7 cooperatives are not evaluated or classified because they were newly established).

Tien Giang focuses on supporting the development of agricultural cooperatives with many policies.

In 2024, the agricultural sector has strengthened coordination with the Tien Giang Provincial Cooperative Union and other sectors and localities to implement policies to support the development of the collective economy and agricultural cooperatives.

Specifically, during the year, the Department of Agriculture coordinated with the Provincial Cooperative Union to review, consolidate and improve the performance of 50 agricultural cooperatives in conjunction with the assessment of the implementation of indicators 13.1 and 13.2 in building new rural areas (NTM), advanced NTM, model NTM, new-style cooperatives and building pilot models to consolidate and improve operational efficiency in Tan Phuoc, Tan Phu Dong, Cai Lay districts, Cai Lay town, Chau Thanh, Go Cong Tay, Cai Be, Cho Gao, Go Cong city, Go Cong Dong. At the same time, 4 classes/189 participants were organized to improve the capacity and management level of agricultural cooperative officials in 2024, with topics on tax, accounting, cost management, and management skills.

Recently, in the province, many outstanding cooperative models have appeared, typical with new ways of doing things, production associated with value chains, and development of OCOP products.

Specifically, in rice production and consumption, there is a linkage model between My Quoi Agricultural Service Cooperative and Phuoc Loc Thien Ho Company Limited in Hau My Bac B commune, Cai Be district through the establishment of a linkage project approved under Resolution 07 of the Provincial People's Council. The linkage scale is 200 - 300 hectares/year with ST24 rice varieties, Nang Hoa 9 and rice products that have been certified as 4-star OCOP.

In fruit production, there are models of Hung Thinh Phat Clean Agriculture Cooperative and My Tinh An Cooperative (Cho Gao district) organizing members to produce dragon fruit according to GlobalGAP standards.

At the same time, cooperate with companies inside and outside the province to consume with an output of about 3,000 tons/year; dragon fruit products are certified with 3-star OCOP.

In the field of safe vegetable production, there are some typical cooperatives such as: Tan Dong Cooperative (Go Cong Dong district), Thanh Hung, Phu Quoi, Hoa Thanh RAT Cooperative (Go Cong Tay district) signed long-term and stable consumption contracts with Saigon COOP supermarket, Bach Hoa Xanh, Big C, wholesale markets in Ho Chi Minh City and restaurants, collective kitchens in the province with an output of about 5 - 7 tons of vegetables/day/cooperative. Some products of cooperatives are OCOP certified such as: Chinese cabbage, Chinese broccoli, Chinese cabbage.

In livestock farming, Go Cong Livestock - Aquaculture Cooperative cooperates with farmers to produce and supply Go Cong chicken under contract to companies, supermarkets, and restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City, averaging about 80 tons/year; the product is certified with 3-star OCOP.

The Department of Agriculture has coordinated with the Provincial Cooperative Union and departments and branches in the implementation, appraisal of application documents and submission for approval of the support list, inspection and supervision of the use of supported infrastructure investment of agricultural cooperatives in the area.

In 2024, capital for infrastructure investment was allocated to agricultural cooperatives, with a total implementation cost of VND 10.72 billion to invest in 9 warehouse, processing workshop, cold storage and 10 machinery and equipment for production for 10 cooperatives.

At the same time, the Department of Agriculture also coordinated with the Provincial Cooperative Union and departments and branches in the implementation, appraisal of documents, inspection and supervision of the use of young workers by cooperatives. As a result, 61 young workers working at 41 cooperatives were supported with salary payments, with a support budget of over 3.76 billion VND in 2024.

In addition, the Agriculture sector also supports cooperatives to participate in fairs/exhibitions/build product brands to achieve OCOP product certification. In 2024, 17 cooperatives will be certified as OCOP products. To date, there have been 31 cooperative entities with 41 products certified as OCOP products.

CONTINUE TO ACCOMPANY

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, in order to continue supporting the development of the collective economy model and agricultural cooperatives, in 2025, the agricultural sector will coordinate with departments and branches to advise the Provincial People's Committee and the Provincial People's Council to issue the Collective Economy Development Program, specifying policies to support cooperatives according to the provisions of Decree 113 dated September 12, 2024 of the Government; removing difficulties and obstacles in implementing support policies on land and credit.

One of the important contents is to continue implementing the Program to support the development of collective economy and cooperatives in Tien Giang province for the period 2021 - 2025, issued with Decision 2848 dated October 11, 2022 of the Chairman of Tien Giang Provincial People's Committee.

In particular, focusing on promoting policies to support infrastructure investment for cooperatives to improve processing and preservation capacity; supporting salary payments for young workers to work in cooperatives; training, fostering, providing, and updating knowledge and market information to improve business capacity and management skills for cooperatives.

The Department of Agriculture will continue to support the construction of 5 pilot cooperative models with effective operations to replicate the new cooperative model in the period of 2021 - 2025 according to Decision 3802 dated December 30, 2021 of the People's Committee of Tien Giang province and build 8 pilot cooperative models in consolidating and improving the quality of operations from average to good, good to excellent.

In addition, the agricultural sector will integrate industry policies to support agricultural cooperatives in developing production such as: Safe production policies, support for high-tech application; building growing area codes, traceability; ongoing agricultural projects; implementing trade promotion activities to strengthen the organization of connection activities between cooperatives and between cooperatives and enterprises through fairs, exhibitions, building and developing cooperative products recognized as OCOP products.

ANH THU

Source: https://baoapbac.vn/kinh-te/202505/tien-giang-day-manh-ho-tro-cac-hop-tac-xa-nong-nghiep-phat-trien-san-xuat-kinh-doanh-1043572/