11:01, 31/01/2021

Applying science and technology in cooperative economy

In order to improve efficiency of operation, cooperatives in the whole Khanh Hoa province have invested in equipment and machinery, applied science and technology to production and business. This is the inevitable direction in front of the increasing demands of the market.

In order to improve efficiency of operation, cooperatives in the whole Khanh Hoa province have invested in equipment and machinery, applied science and technology to production and business. This is the inevitable direction in front of the increasing demands of the market.
 
Bright spots
 
At Vinh Phuoc export handicraft cooperative (Ninh Hoa Town), along with skillful hands knitting typical products is a system of modern machinery and equipment, mainly producing materials. The cooperative with a turnover of tens of billions of dong per year has applied all machines to the processing of materials. "Human create finished products while the process of materials to be regular and durable needs machines", said  Nguyen Thi Phuong – manager of the cooperative’s personnel department. She also shared that the marketing, promotion, exchange and contract signing for main products for export are all done online. This helps the products to have greater spread and the cooperation easier.
 
According to Dinh Van Dung - Chairman of the Provincial Cooperative Union, in recent years, the provincial Cooperative Union has coordinated with the provincial Department of Industry and Trade to implement the industrial promotion policy to support non-agricultural cooperatives with a total budget of VND1.2 billion. In which, Vinh Phuoc export handicraft cooperative received an aid of more than VND100 million from the State to implement the project "Application of advanced machinery and equipment to produce bamboo and rattan handicrafts for export and tourism”. 
 

 

Vacumm packing machine at Ninh Quang agricultural cooperative 1
Vacumm packing machine at Ninh Quang agricultural cooperative 1
 
Promoting application of machines and science
 

Khanh Hoa Province now has 132 cooperatives. The cooperative economic bloc of the province attracts more than 51,000 members. The total charter capital of the cooperatives by the end of 2020 was VND210 billion, an increase of 15% compared to 2017. The total working capital of the cooperatives was about VND630 billion, an increase of 20% compared to 2017. 70 out of 132 cooperatives work well. The average annual revenue was VND1.89 billion/cooperative; the average profit after tax was VND240 million/cooperative; the average income of employees was VND3.4 million/month.
According to Dinh Van Dung, the handicraft cooperatives have invested in equipment and machinery in most production stages, helping to improve production efficiency. Among 96 agricultural cooperatives, there are currently 30 ones whose production and business are associated with the value chain, applying high technology, food safety standards, and have long-term signing on product selling activities with businesses. The benefits for the members of these cooperatives are 7-10% lower input costs, high product quality, increase in selling prices, and 20-30% increase in income of members.
 
One of the strategies for the development of the cooperative economy in the period 2021 - 2025 determined by the province is to focus on the strong application of science and technology to make a breakthrough in productivity, quality and efficiency of economic cooperation. According to the provincial Cooperative Union, in the period of 2021 - 2025, the support "Building models of cooperatives with production and business associated with the value chain" continues to be promoted. In addition, the merger, consolidation and construction of a multi-function cooperative model, production and business associated with the value chain, attracting many members will be also promoted. Activities to join and link cooperatives with other economic organizations to expand the scope of operations, scale of production and business, expand markets and ensure the sustainable development will be enhanced.
 
“As for the agricultural cooperative block, the formation of large-scale cooperatives is necessary. These cooperatives provide input materials (seedlings, livestock, protection drugs ...), credit - banking, insurance, storage, transportation and output services for agricultural products in the form of a package and large scale to reduce costs and increase production efficiency ”, Dinh Van Dung emphasized.
 
Hong Dang
 
Translated by T.T