With just two months left until Lunar New Year 2025, cooperatives and cooperative groups across Da Nang are stepping up production of agricultural products and goods to meet the rising market demand during the upcoming festival.

The Do 37 Clean Agricultural Products Cooperative focuses on improving product designs to suit consumer needs. Photo: TRAN TRUC

Production of clean, high-quality goods

To improve production efficiency as well as meet orders, in July 2024, the Kim Thanh Production, Business and General Trade Services Cooperative located in Thanh Khe District poured more than VND 500 million into the expansion of the factory and the upgrade of the mushroom farm.

The cooperative has more than 38 members specialising in producing such types of mushrooms as abalone, wood ear, lingzhi, shiitake mushroom and straw mushroom on an area of ​​more than 4,000m².

It supplies the market with more than 40,000 bags of mushroom spawn every month, of which each day it produces more than 150kg of various types of mushrooms, with prices ranging from VND30,000-VND70,000/bag of mushrooms depending on the type. The cooperative expects to provide the Tet market with about 350-400kg of mushrooms each day.

Mr. Huynh Van Muoi, Director of the cooperative, said mushrooms are grown according to VietGAP standards, so after harvesting, the products will undergo strict inspection and classification. It is expected that the cooperative's mushroom prices will increase by 10-20% at the end of the year.

“Due to people’s growing consumption demand for mushrooms before and during Tet, we will increase production by about 30% compared to the same period. On the other hand, we are working hard to complete related procedures so that the products can achieve OCOP certification, expanding the consumption market” he added.

Established in early 2024 with 8 members, the Thanh Khe Clean Agricultural Products Cooperative is raising 2,500 chickens and more than 100 pigs. It expects to bring to the market 2,000 packaged chickens at a price of VND160,000/kg and 60 pigs weighing from 60-70kg each.

Mr. Tran Cong Minh, Head of the Cooperative, said that the advantage of the cooperative is the source of clean and natural food and it does not use industrial food.

Therefore, the cooperative has planned a food growing area of ​​more than 1 hectare, helping to proactively source food on the spot. The consumption source has stabilised, so the cooperative is expanding production, at the same time researching to produce breeds to be self-sufficient in supply as well as towards VietGAP standards.

Meanwhile, the Nhon Phat Chicken Cooperative in Hoa Nhon Commune, Hoa Vang District has 7 official members and 4 associate members raising more than 2,000 hill chickens in total. The cooperative will supply the Tet market with about 1,200 meat chickens at a price of VND120,000/kg.

Boosting supply to market

Aside from agricultural produce, the production of processed specialty and OCOP products for gifts and consumption during Tet are also being boosted by units.

For example, the Do 37 Clean Agricultural Products Cooperative in Hoa Quy Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, produces and trades more than 30 types of processed food such as herbal cereal tea, granola, sprouted cereal powder, dried mango, and nutritional cakes made from nuts. Notably, sprouted cereal powder is recognided as a 3-star OCOP product, whilst coconut-flavoured nutritional cakes are certified as typical rural industrial products at the municipal level.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Oanh, Director of the Cooperative, her unit plans to increase the quantity of goods by about 20% to serve the year-end market. Currently, the Cooperative has received orders from businesses, units, and agents in the city and other localities nationwide.

Moreover, the cooperative offers Tet gift baskets priced from VND250,000 to several million VND per basket. “We focus on the tourist market, especially international tourists, by bringing our products to specialty store chains, supermarkets, airports, etc. In April 2024, the cooperative received financial aid from the municipal Department of Industry and Trade to invest in machinery and equipment for the production of dried mango,” said Ms. Oanh.

Similarly, members of the Hoa Nhon 'cu kieu' (pickled scallion heads) Production Cooperative based in Hoa Nhon Commune are actively planting and caring for the scallions to ensure effective growth.

It is known that the Hoa Nhon 'cu kieu' has achieved 4-star OCOP certification. The cooperative group's products have a growing area code, ensuring transparency of origin.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bong, Head of the cooperative, shared “I am working in a closed-loop manner, and purchasing products from members of the cooperative, to make finished products to serve the market. In addition to fresh scallion heads, the group also supplies the market with a variety of products such as pickled shallots with fish sauce, sweet and sour scallion heads, dried scallion heads, and others.

Reporting by TRAN TRUC - Translating by M.DUNG