Illustrative image (Source: VNA) HCM City (VNA) - The Mekong Delta islooking for a new model to increase the efficiency of its agriculturalproduction and distribution.
Early last year the Government approved a pilot co-operativemodel for the delta for 2016 -20.
It seeks to have 10 – 15 new co-operatives with a focus ondeveloping infrastructure for cultivation, improving governance, mobilisingcapital for stronger connectivity and expanding markets.
“Members of the new co-operatives will contribute money andget quality service, savings and good, steady prices,” Deputy Minister of Agricultureand Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam was quoted as saying in Thoi baoKinh doanh (Business Times) newspaper.
According to the chairman of the Vietnam Co-operativesUnion, Vo Kim Cu, the most important task for the region is drafting a masterplan for co-operatives based on the strengths of each province.
“Developing a new co-operative model is imperative butoutput and quality should be improved to compete in the domestic andinternational markets.
“High-quality human resources and high technology are twovery important things to ensure the success of the new model.”
According to statistics from the Crop Production Department,the delta now has over 307,000 hectares of orchards, accounting for 37.5 percentof the nation’s total area, which produce 3.5 million tonnes of fruits eachyear.
The provinces of Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Soc Trangand Ben Tre account for the largest areas of high-value produce like banana,mango, orange, coconut, pomelo, and blue dragon fruit.
Vietnamese fruit exports have been increasing. In 2015 thecountry exported 1.8 billion USD worth of products to 60 nations andterritories, eight times the 2005 figure.
In the first seven months of last year exports surged to 1.4billion USD, a 135.5 percent increase year-on-year.
However, the links between production and distributionremain loose, and farmers are ready to sell their produce to the highest bidderand to move to more lucrative fruits without any long-termstrategy.
Authorities have not been competent at market forecast andsale and seed and quality management.
“The biggest challenge for our farmers is selling,” Nguyen VanChien, director of Thanh Phuoc Co-operative in Chau Thanh District, Hau GiangProvince, said.
“Our sales mostly depend on private dealers, and so pricesare very volatile.”
“We wish to have a strong intermediary organisation thatlinks farmers and enterprises for transfer of green technologies based onVietGap standards to achieve steady sales,” Thai Thuy Linh, owner of a dragonfruit farm in Luong Hoa Lac Commune in Tien Giang’s Cho Gao District, said.-VNA
Early last year the Government approved a pilot co-operativemodel for the delta for 2016 -20.
It seeks to have 10 – 15 new co-operatives with a focus ondeveloping infrastructure for cultivation, improving governance, mobilisingcapital for stronger connectivity and expanding markets.
“Members of the new co-operatives will contribute money andget quality service, savings and good, steady prices,” Deputy Minister of Agricultureand Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam was quoted as saying in Thoi baoKinh doanh (Business Times) newspaper.
According to the chairman of the Vietnam Co-operativesUnion, Vo Kim Cu, the most important task for the region is drafting a masterplan for co-operatives based on the strengths of each province.
“Developing a new co-operative model is imperative butoutput and quality should be improved to compete in the domestic andinternational markets.
“High-quality human resources and high technology are twovery important things to ensure the success of the new model.”
According to statistics from the Crop Production Department,the delta now has over 307,000 hectares of orchards, accounting for 37.5 percentof the nation’s total area, which produce 3.5 million tonnes of fruits eachyear.
The provinces of Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Hau Giang, Soc Trangand Ben Tre account for the largest areas of high-value produce like banana,mango, orange, coconut, pomelo, and blue dragon fruit.
Vietnamese fruit exports have been increasing. In 2015 thecountry exported 1.8 billion USD worth of products to 60 nations andterritories, eight times the 2005 figure.
In the first seven months of last year exports surged to 1.4billion USD, a 135.5 percent increase year-on-year.
However, the links between production and distributionremain loose, and farmers are ready to sell their produce to the highest bidderand to move to more lucrative fruits without any long-termstrategy.
Authorities have not been competent at market forecast andsale and seed and quality management.
“The biggest challenge for our farmers is selling,” Nguyen VanChien, director of Thanh Phuoc Co-operative in Chau Thanh District, Hau GiangProvince, said.
“Our sales mostly depend on private dealers, and so pricesare very volatile.”
“We wish to have a strong intermediary organisation thatlinks farmers and enterprises for transfer of green technologies based onVietGap standards to achieve steady sales,” Thai Thuy Linh, owner of a dragonfruit farm in Luong Hoa Lac Commune in Tien Giang’s Cho Gao District, said.-VNA
VNA
