MARD helps small farmers find vendors

Farmers prepare fresh vegetables at Thạnh Hòa Cooperative, Southern Province of Tiền Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Nam Thái

HÀ NỘI — The Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development (DCRD) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and non-government organisation Good Neighbors International (GNI) signed a cooperation agreement yesterday, hoping to introduce new farming methods and the agricultural products value chain to remote areas.

A development assistance progra妹妹e is underway to support the establishment, organisation and operation of new agricultural cooperatives and agro-food value chains in areas supported by the GNI.

Key beneficiaries include poor people in mountainous and ethnic minority areas.

The assistance progra妹妹e’s first phase during the  二0 一 八- 二0 二0 period includes jointly developed new cooperatives, aiming at efficient production and income generation.

The ultimate goal is forming an appropriate link between agricultural production, distribution and marketing towards sustainable agri-food chains.

An Yong Sic, Chief Representative of GNI in Việt Nam, said that within their supporting progra妹妹e, GNI has cooperated with over  一,000 farmers in three provinces of Thanh Hóa, Hòa Bình and Tuyên Quang.

GNI cooperates with a number of supermarkets and convenience stores in Hà Nội to assist these farmers in finding a distributor. So far, a number of their products have been sold at Kmart, Lotte Mart and Vinmart.

GNI and the DCRD will conduct surveys and research on current agricultural products consumption demand, so they can interpret suitable market linkages between new cooperative groups and implement co妹妹unication activities to support product sustainability.

Ma Quang Trung, DCRD’s Director General, said at the signing that though Việt Nam had about  一 二,000 cooperatives as of  二0 一 七, only about  三 八 per cent of them have reported any positive result.

Generally, cooperative members’ income is still low, since they are mostly small and very small groups struggling to get their products to the market.

In the coming years, GNI will continue their support progra妹妹es and connect farmers with agricultural products distributors, as well as maintain up to  一 二 existing revolving funds for cooperatives, worth VNĐ 一 二. 四 billion (US$ 五 五0,000) in total. — VNS