Developing Agricultural Cooperatives via Digital Transformation

Developing the collective economy alongside digital transformation has been identified as a key solution to innovate growth models, boost productivity, enhance quality, and improve the competitive edge of cooperatives. The province is accelerating the application of information technology in governance, agricultural product traceability, and bringing products onto e-commerce platforms, closely linked with the new rural development program.

To extend shelf life and guarantee product quality upon reaching consumers, the My Lung Ga Gay Sticky Rice Production and General Services Cooperative in Son Luong Commune has invested in modern milling, packaging, and vacuum-sealing production lines. Notably, in 2022, its My Lung Ga Gay sticky rice product achieved a 4-star OCOP upgrade; the cooperative also earned ISO 22000:2018 certification for food safety.

This is regarded as a pivotal turning point, establishing a solid framework for the cooperative to shift strongly toward organic production and meet increasingly high market demands. Alongside raising product quality, the cooperative proactively expands its consumption market by introducing products on platforms such as giaothuong.net, nongsanphutho.com.vn, Facebook, and Zalo.

The Ga Gay sticky rice packaging and vacuum-sealing line at the My Lung Ga Gay Sticky Rice Production and General Services Cooperative in Son Luong Commune helps extend preservation time and maintain product quality when brought to market.

Mr. Khuc Ngoc Tung, Director of the Cooperative, shared that through digital transformation and technology adoption, the cooperative’s product output and distribution market have doubled compared to before, with product prices rising nearly 20%. The cooperative’s products are not only consumed locally within the province but have also entered the Southern market — a region known for high-quality rice products — earning the trust of customers.

In Da Bac Commune, leaf vegetables, cantaloupes, and aromatic herbs produced by the Da Bac Agricultural Services and Food Supply Cooperative are grown according to VietGAP standards, incorporating digital transformation across various production stages.

Notably, weather data is collected directly in the fields through an automated monitoring system, tracking temperature, air humidity, rainfall, and other climatic factors. This model was deployed right after the provincial merger in August 2025, spanning a scale of 1.5 hectares across 15 membrane and net greenhouses.

To date, multiple stages in the safe vegetable production process have been automated based on measured parameters. Water and nutrients are delivered at the right time and in precise doses, thereby mitigating pest risks and boosting production efficiency.

Ms. Dinh Thi Thuong, Director of the Cooperative, noted that by applying technology to production, the cooperative maintains good control over disease outbreaks, ensures plant nutrition, saves costs, and improves production yield. Simultaneously, the cooperative intensifies product promotion on digital platforms to progressively broaden its market. On average each year, the cooperative supplies around 300 tons of food to institutional kitchens in Da Bac Commune and neighboring communes and wards, generating revenue of nearly VND 5 billion.

The automated climate monitoring system of the Da Bac Agricultural Services and Food Supply Cooperative in Da Bac Commune helps improve production efficiency and promptly adjust care routines during changing weather.

Currently, the province boasts 1,148 cooperatives and 451 cooperative groups operating in agriculture. The majority of cooperatives have boldly invested in and applied technology to production to raise product quality, while pushing forward digital transformation in management, promotion, and market expansion.

Dynamic development models are thriving on digital platforms. Cooperatives, business households, and enterprises have transformed their production, distribution, and consumption methods through e-commerce channels. Local specialties and OCOP items — such as Doan Hung pomelo, Tan Son multi-spurred chicken, Phu Tho tea, Cao Phong orange, Lap Thach dragon fruit, Tan Lac pomelo, and Gia Thanh persimmon — are widely promoted and sold thanks to digital technology applications, enhancing their value and market competitiveness.

According to the Provincial People’s Committee’s Project on Developing Collective Economy and Cooperatives in Phu Tho Province for the 2026–2030 Period, the province encourages the establishment of “digital cooperative”, “green cooperative”, circular economy, and environmentally friendly production models in the upcoming period. Priority will be given to launching pilot models at key cooperatives to serve as a foundation for broader replication.

To achieve this goal, the province has assigned relevant departments and sectors to organize the application of science, technology, new techniques, and digital technology across production, management, processing, preservation, and product traceability, thereby raising productivity, quality, and added value for cooperative products.

At the same time, support will be provided to help cooperatives build and operate e-commerce platforms, internal management software systems, digital accounting, member management, and product showcase websites, fostering comprehensive digital transformation across all cooperative operations.

The province is also stepping up technology transfer and dissemination by partnering with research institutes, universities, and tech enterprises, while building a network of experts and technical advisors to assist cooperatives in accessing and applying science and technology. Step by step, this will build comprehensive, sustainable cooperatives that serve as the backbone of the collective economy, contributing to local socio-economic development.

Quan Lam