Vietnam sets to have 15,000 effective agricultural cooperatives

Vietnam sets to have 15,000 effective agricultural cooperatives and cooperative alliances by 2020 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) along with the Vietnam Farmers’ Union (VFU) and Vietnam Cooperative Alliance (VCA) have signed a coordination programme to implement the National Assembly’s target of having 15,000 agricultural cooperatives and cooperative alliances operating effectively by 2020.

Speaking at a conference in Hanoi on April 12, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said cooperatives play a significant role in developing agriculture.

He called on the political system and economic sectors to join hands to realise the goal.

The MARD and VCA have issued a joint resolution continuing reforming and developing cooperation in agriculture in 2016-2020 and signed collaboration programmes with 39 provinces nationwide.

Le Duc Thinh, Deputy Director of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development Department under the ministry, said the two sides have worked together to train managerial officials of cooperatives, support them to make business plans, connect businesses and cooperatives and build chains of safe food stores.

The VFU Central Committee and the MARD also inked a pact in March 2013 helping farmers develop agricultural economy and build new rural areas in 2012-2020.

The VFU has opened 14,700 training courses for 734,600 members of the union, cooperatives and cooperative alliances and provided vocational training for 362,000 workers in rural areas over the past six years.

In 2017, the country had about 4,400 effective agricultural cooperatives