Currently, the Da Nang Cooperative Alliance is working closely with authorities at local level to carry out raising awareness on collective economy and cooperatives through public education, information dissemination and awareness-raising campaigns. Besides, heed is paid to providing support and advice in order to promote the establishment of cooperatives, contributing to enhancing and preserving co-operative structures, ensuring effective implementation of the city’s social welfare programs and driving local socio-economic development.

A female visitor experiencing traditional brocade weaving by the Co Tu ethnic minority people as part of a series of community based tourism activities organized by the Hoa Bac Cooperative of Ecological Agriculture and Community based Tourism. Photo: HOANG HIEP

The Hoa Bac Cooperative of Eco-Agriculture and Community-based Tourism which is headquartered in Nam Yen Village recently made its debut in Hoa Vang District. The cooperative now has 19 capital contributors and many associate members to offer community-based tours in the rural district.

Mrs Do Thi Huyen Tram, the Cooperative CEO said: “The Cooperative mainly focuses on offering tours to tourist groups to help them explore the culture and traditional crafts of the Co Tu ethnic minority people. Tourists will have a chance to learn about brocade weaving, ecological farming, as well as watch the ‘tung tung da da’dance to express gratitude to heaven, and enjoy traditional foods. The cooperative is cooperating with its member units to offer community-based trips to Ta Lang and Gian Bi villages to tourists in a bid to allow them to taste the culture and cuisine of the Co Tu people".

“A Lang Nhu Homestay officially opened its doors to tourists five years ago. At that time, the communal authority planned to establish a cooperative to connect with local households to develop community-based tourism. Till date, this new plan has come true thanks to active support, great efforts and enthusiasm of relevant local agencies, tourism experts and the cooperative’s members. The communal authority will continue its efforts to facilitate the cooperative to operate effectively, especially uphold the role of its members, in an attempt to promote the development of community- based tourism in combination with promoting the consumption of local farming products and creating a meaningful visitor experience”, Chairman of Hoa Bac Commune People's Committee Thai Van Hoai Nam shared.

Most recently, the Nam Yen Cooperative of Green farming and Tourism Development has been established in ​​Hoa Bac Commune with a total registered charter capital of VND 2.9 billion. In the first 3 months of 2023, Hoa Vang District Finance and Planning Division granted registration certificates to 2 new cooperatives, namely Truong Dinh Eco-agritourism Cooperative located in the namesake village, Hoa Lien Commune, with its charter capital of VND 1 billion, plus a Cooperative for preserving and developing medicinal herbs in Quang region with its headquarters in Quan Nam 2 Village, Hoa Lien Commune and its charter capital of VND 1.24 billion. In 2022, there were 8 new cooperatives operating in the city. They were Olai Cooperative, Hoa Vang Hi-Tech Cooperative, Hai Van Cooperative of Swiftlet Farming, Phu Son Village Cooperative, Thai Lai Saemaul Production and Service Cooperative, a Cooperative of Livelihood Development for Tropical Forests and Eco-Farming, Hoa Tho Tay Mushroom Cooperative, and Thanh Khe Seafood Cooperative.

Data published by the Da Nang Cooperative Alliance shows that Da Nang is now home to 274 cooperative groups with a combined total of 2,159 members, a total capital of more than VND 40 billion, and overall capital assets worth nearly VND 46.5 billion. They together have till date created stable jobs for more than 4,500 people. Generally, there are 138 cooperatives and cooperative groups operating in Da Nang with a combined total of 9,443 members and a total registered charter capital of VND 354.6 billion, thereby together creating employment opportunities for 14,871 people.

In 2023, the Da Nang Cooperative Alliance will focus on taking more measures to ensure effective implementation of the municipal government’s Action Program No. 24 dated December 5, 2022 and the national government’s Resolution No. 20 dated June 16, 2022 in order to continue to use innovation to drive the efficiency and growth of the collective economy in the new period.

High priority will given to raising public awareness about the development of collective economy and cooperatives , as well as supporting the establishment of 10-15 new cooperatives and 30-35 cooperative groups. Importance will be attached to supporting the development of the existing cooperatives and cooperative groups in association with the transformation and restructuring of these organizations according to the new model. Heed will be paid to incorporating small-scale cooperatives into large-scale ones within the same industry group in efforts to improve their operational efficiency, as well as promoting the establishment of a quality and effective cooperative group in the 2023-2025 period.

Reporting by HOANG HIEP – Translating by H.L