Enhancing digital transformation in the collective economy

Keeping up with technological advancements, the collective economic sector in the province—centered on cooperatives and cooperative groups—has embraced digital transformation by applying information technology to operations, production, and business. This approach has increased product value, improved economic efficiency, and enabled cooperatives to access markets more rapidly.

Doan Hung District organizes training sessions on introduction and sales skills for cooperatives and households. Additionally, it hosts live broadcasts to introduce and promote OCOP products and key agricultural products of the district on the TikTok platform.

The province currently has one union of cooperatives, 1,166 THTs, and 620 cooperatives, comprising a total of over 108,000 members. The average revenue per cooperative is VND 3.5 billion per year, providing regular employment to 6,141 workers with an average monthly income of VND 5 million per person. Following global trends, the digitalization of production and business activities has transformed the organization and management of cooperative operations, improving their quality and efficiency compared to traditional methods.

Many cooperatives have invested in and adopted new technical advances, information technology, and high-tech methods in production, processing, and product consumption. These include automatic irrigation technology, remote-controlled pesticide spraying, closed livestock systems, electronic care diaries, and IT-based management systems. Over 70% of cooperatives now promote and sell their products through e-commerce platforms.

Optimizing the benefits that digital transformation applications bring to tea production and business processes, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Director of Da Hen Tea Production and Processing Cooperative, Cam Khe District, affirmed: Digital transformation also helps tea makers manage production and consumption more effectively. Along with the use of QR codes, consumers are more secure when they can contact the production facility directly. With just a smartphone with an Internet connection, customers can look up product information to choose the best quality products at reasonable prices.

Implementing the “National Digital Transformation Program to 2025, with a vision to 2030” according to Decision 749/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister, agriculture is one of the 8 priority areas for digital transformation. Therefore, the provincial Department of Agriculture has been coordinating with localities to promote propaganda work, raise awareness of people and cooperatives about the role and importance of digital transformation in serving cultivation, support farmers in using information technology equipment, train, improve qualifications, access capacity, and apply digital transformation into production. At the same time, coordinate with departments, branches, and units to introduce digital platforms and e-commerce platforms to help people grasp knowledge, promote production, processing, and consumption of agricultural products in the digital environment, contribute to product promotion, and gradually transform agricultural production methods towards smartness, modernity, and higher added value. As a bridge to support cooperatives and cooperatives in applying digital transformation technology, in 2024, the Provincial Cooperative Union organized 37 training courses to improve capacity and skills in cooperative management, propaganda skills, trade promotion, digital transformation application, building and protecting cooperative product brands, building OCOP products, and propagating the 2023 Cooperative Law, new policy documents for 6,028 managers, members, and employees in cooperatives. Continue to preside over the implementation of the scientific project: Promoting the application of management systems and tools to improve productivity and quality in cooperatives in the province.

Along with that, the Provincial Cooperative Union has increased support for cooperatives to introduce and promote products widely on information and propaganda channels, connecting more than 40 cooperatives to participate in e-commerce trading floors and supermarkets and OCOP store systems in and outside the province. Organize and support over 150 cooperatives, cooperative unions, and cooperative groups with nearly 300 products to participate in promotion at many fairs and events. Support video production, build sales websites, management software, sales tracking, and fan pages to promote and consume products for 8 cooperatives; advise and support 97 cooperatives to participate in production linkage projects applying new scientific and technical advances and linking with value chains. Continue to deploy consulting service packages, support accounting, financial management, electronic tax declaration... operate and maintain the operation of booths of 50 cooperatives with nearly 120 products, goods, and services on the Phu Tho province e-commerce trading floor: giaothuong.net.vn.

Ms. Vu Thi Minh Tam - Permanent Vice President of the Provincial Cooperative Union affirmed: In order to increase the value of products, at the same time, strengthen the organization of exchanges and experiences in adapting to the process of digital transformation, technology, new production and business methods and promote opportunities for trade, cooperation, and market connection inside and outside the province; in the coming time, the Provincial Cooperative Union will continue to accompany cooperatives in the process of managing and operating the development of collective economy, continue to promote training on digital transformation, development, and improvement high quality products... At the same time, actively train and improve the operational capacity of cooperatives through training courses to help cooperatives and members apply technology in the production and consumption of agricultural products, especially in accessing consumer markets, towards sustainable development.

Thu Giang