Full farming services with cooperatives: Youth drives success and builds trust

Introducing the youth to the local workforce

As one of the first agricultural cooperatives in An Nhon Town, Binh Dinh Province, to convert its operations under the 2012 Law on Cooperative, Agricultural Cooperative 2 Nhon Tho has restructured its organization and implemented a business plan focused on diversifying services to meet market demands.

Agricultural Cooperative 2 Nhon Tho is currently providing 10 types of services, including land preparation, irrigation, plant protection, agricultural extension, rice seed production and distribution, agricultural material provision, internal loaning, small and medium-sized construction, public cemetery management, and local market management, exploitation, and operation.

In terms of agricultural production, Agricultural Cooperative 2 Nhon Tho offers the unique service of connecting the production and distribution of rice seeds between major domestic businesses. Notably, the cooperative has collaborated with two large seed companies, ThaiBinhSeed and VinaSeed, to establish a production and distribution chain for rice seeds and increase farmers' incomes since 2009.

The cooperative produces nearly 200 hectares of rice seeds per year across two crops. This model has enhanced local farmers' income levels, as businesses purchase rice seeds under a buy-back arrangement, where one kilogram of rice seed is equivalent to 1.3 kilograms of commercial rice.

Pham Van Tan, Director of Agricultural Cooperative 2 Nhon Tho, stated that the cooperative has introduced the youth to its leadership team and significantly improved its organizational structure to manage the considerable workload. The majority of the cooperative's board members were over sixty years old in the past, while current members average between twenty and thirty years old. The cooperative has also recruited a graduate from the University of Economics of Ho Chi Minh City to serve as Deputy Director in charge of finance and business, and a graduate from the Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry to oversee technical and agricultural extension operations.

"After improving our workforces, we have assigned 'multi-tasking' roles to enhance efficiency. For example, the accountant is now also responsible for market management services, and the warehouse manager is responsible for the management of public cemeteries," explained Director Pham Van Tan.

According to Bui Van Cu, Permanent Vice Chairman of the An Nhon Town People's Committee, Agricultural Cooperative 2 Nhon Tho has, in its development trajectory, not only expanded its production areas and crop varieties but also focused on human resource development. The introduction of the youth into the leadership team has enabled the cooperative to succeed in all service sectors, thereby securing the cooperative's operating capital.

"With the provincial salary support policy, the cooperative has recently recruited a graduate with a formal university degree. We have previously recruited a graduate from the University of Economics of Ho Chi Minh City, a local farmer's child, who has been with us for eight years. The cooperative has also trained four staff members with university degrees," shared Director Pham Van Tan.

Youthful innovation in high-tech agriculture

After recruiting a graduate from the Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry, Agricultural Cooperative 2 Nhon Tho implemented a high-tech agricultural model in Tho Loc 2 village, converting underperforming land into productive areas for a variety of crops, including cantaloupe, honeydew melon, watermelon, bitter melon, and pumpkin. Consequently, the model has yielded highly effective results, with the cooperative's VietGAP-certified vegetable production area expanding from an initial 3.4 hectares to 10 hectares. The cooperative has also established a processing facility for vegetables and fruits, equipped with drying and washing machines to support the safe vegetable production area.

According to Director Pham Van Tan, the cooperative has equipped its vegetable production area with an Israeli drip irrigation system and utilized organic fertilizers to promote safety for both producers and consumers.

Furthermore, the cooperative has focused on VietGAP-compliant vegetable production, with detailed production logs and traceable origins. As a result, the cooperative’s products remain in high demand in supermarkets and clean vegetable stalls within and beyond the province. In 2023, the cooperative sold 127 tons of various vegetables and fruits. Notably, its yellow-skinned cantaloupe received official recognition as a 3-star OCOP product.

"During its operation, the cooperative plays a crucial role in connecting farmers with businesses to create a closed production chain between households, the cooperative, and companies in production and consumption. Through these production linkages, the cooperative serves as a bridge, facilitating members and farmers to convert crop and livestock structures, adopt scientific and technological advances, increase productivity, improve product quality, and boost income for workers, thereby earning the trust of its members," shared Director Pham Van Tan.

According to Tran Van Phuc, General Director of Binh Dinh Province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Binh Dinh Provincial People's Committee approved a pilot program in 2019 to employ young university graduates on a fixed-term basis at agricultural cooperatives across the province from 2019 to 2020. Five agricultural cooperatives were selected for this pilot program, including Phuoc Quang Agricultural Cooperative in Phuoc Quang Commune, Tuy Phuoc District; My Hiep 1 Agricultural Cooperative in My Hiep Commune, Phu My District; Nhon Tho 2 Agricultural Cooperative in Nhon Tho Commune, An Nhon Town; Dinh Quang Agricultural Cooperative in Vinh Quang Commune, Vinh Thanh District; and Thuan Nghia Agricultural Cooperative in Phu Phong Town, Tay Son District.

"Agricultural cooperatives that have benefited from the addition of young, university-educated staff have reported relatively effective operations. Many of these young professionals have developed long-term commitments to the cooperatives," noted General Director Tran Van Phuc.