Summing up and evaluating 5-year implementation of cooperative and farm economy in Dong Nai province.

Orchid displayed at the meeting

        According to the report released by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, there are 5,364 vocational and resident cooperative groups. Therefore, from 2002 till now there are 692 cooperative groups and cooperative groups of agricultural production including 564 professional branches and high-productivity clubs, 659 capital-borrowing groups, 858 groups borrowing capital from social policy bank, 185 farming cooperatives, 147 livestock breeding cooperatives, 87 service cooperatives, and  13 cooperatives managing exploitation of clean water in rural areas. The main activities of cooperatives are based on mutual assistance in following aspects: borrowing capital, supplying materials, working the soil, and managing road and water source. As for cooperatives alone, until November 2007, 65 agricultural cooperatives have been newly established and transformed, three of which have ineffectively operated and already legally dissolved. At present, there are 62 cooperatives with over 1,986 cooperative members, of which 45 agricultural service cooperatives, and one cooperative engaged in general production, business and services and 16 specialized cooperatives. In comparison with 2001, from 2002 to November 2007, the number of cooperatives increases by 41, among which are 27 agricultural service ones, 6 specialized ones, 3 livestock breeding ones, 2 clean vegetable ones, and 3 fisheries ones. The average charter capital of each cooperative is VND758.9 billion, 22

Organizations received certificates of merit for their achievements in the cooperation program of the province.

 out of 60 cooperatives with the average interest rate of VND71.9 billion, and 21 unprofitable ones , 2/60 loss-making ones, 12/60 ones temporarily stopping their operation and 3/60 newly-established cooperatives but not in operation yet. At present, the agricultural cooperatives lack capital for production and business due to the fact that the cooperatives can not ask for loan from banks because they do not have security assets or are unable to build feasible modes of production and business, or do not have specific contracts. Additionally, the management of cooperatives is still weak.

        As for farm economy, there have been 3,666 farms, increasing by 549 ones against 2003, among which  are 1,547 perennial tree farms (increasing by 379 ones), 1,464 livestock breeding farms (up 174 ones), 223 aquaculture farms (decreasing by 22 ones), 15 forestry farms (up 4 farm), 22 farms of various kinds (up 1 farm), and 195 annual tree farms (up 13 ones). These figures show that the number of perennial tree and livestock breeding farms increases most. The decrease of aquaculture farms is due to changes in land planning and cage-culture area preplanning on rivers of Dong Nai and La Nga. Until now, the total investment capital in production of the province is VND1361.86 billion including the equity capital of VND1138.18 billion, loan from banks and others of VND223.68 billion. The total average capital of each farm is VND371.48 million. Almost farms apply scientific and technical advances to production in order to enhance the effectiveness of production and business.

Vice-Chairperson Ao Van Thinh addressed at the meeting.

       Addressing at the meeting, Vice-Chairperson Ao Van Thinh emphasized that the cooperative and farm economy had contributed to the social-economic development of the province, at the same time enhanced production effectiveness of tens of thousands of cooperative members, team members, and farmer households, and step by step exploited as well as promoted great human resource in rural society. Therefore, in the coming time, focus should be laid on popularizing the Party’s undertakings and State’s policies on the cooperative and farm economy; building a plan to organize the cooperative-farm economy in transferring scientific and technical advances, and protection of domestic animals and crops; deploying the planning of agriculture in the province in order to popularize people and farm owners to build agricultural cooperatives. Besides, construction of agricultural cooperatives in concentrated goods production zones must be developed. Material areas must be attached to processing factories, large water reservoirs, and irrigational works. The task on inspecting the activities of cooperative groups, farms and agricultural cooperatives should be enhanced to timely solve existing difficulties, making contribution to boost the development of cooperative economy.

        On this occasion, 15 organizations and 17 individuals were awarded certificates of merit conferred by the provincial People’s Committee for their achievements in the cooperation program of the province.

        Reported by Thu Dung, Translated by THKC