An Giang makes cooperative economy the ‘backbone’ of value chains

The strength of new-generation farmers’ organizations

From the rice-specialized fields in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle to the shrimp-rice and shrimp-pineapple rotation areas in the U Minh Thuong region, one can easily sense the new vitality of cooperative economics in An Giang’s rural areas today. The movement toward large-scale production, value-chain linkages, and a spirit of cooperation is spreading across cooperatives and farmer groups alike.

Located in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle, Tan Hoi is a purely agricultural commune that is taking the lead in shifting toward a model of green agriculture and sustainable cooperation. By the end of the 2020-2025 term, the commune’s total production value is estimated at 4,100 billion VND, with the value of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries increasing by nearly 14%, reaching 3,125 billion VND.

Tan Hoi stands out not only for its high output but also for its modern agricultural infrastructure: a fully enclosed dike system, electricity, pumping stations, and in-field canals are comprehensively invested, ensuring stable production of two to three rice crops per year.

Dozens of science and technology-based models have been widely applied from drone seeding and alternate wetting and drying irrigation, to low-emission rice cultivation and digital farm diaries. Thanks to these innovations, the commune’s average annual per capita income has risen sharply to over 66.5 million VND, reflecting the strong momentum generated by organized cooperative production.

A key highlight is the growth of 17 agricultural cooperatives, each serving as a vital link in the value chain. From rice and vegetable production and consumption to agro-processing, these cooperatives are steadily renewing their operations, partnering with businesses, and expanding production scales. The “four-party linkage” - farmers, enterprises, scientists, and the State is now functioning more effectively than ever.

The Phu Hoa Youth Agricultural Service Cooperative is a typical example of this new-generation cooperative model. With youthful dynamism and creativity, Nguyen Van Huynh, the cooperative’s director, shared that it was established in 2011 with only 13 members; today, it has grown to 320 members managing 613 hectares of farmland.

The cooperative has effectively implemented various service activities, helping its members reduce production costs. It also provides training, guidance, and support for members to engage in market-oriented agricultural production, improve product quality, apply advanced science and technology, and establish stable input–output linkages.

“The cooperative needs to continue developing sustainable services, prioritize high-quality and low-emission rice production, promote digital transformation, and expand market connections, product off-take, and trade promotion,” Mr. Huynh shared about the cooperative’s development direction.

Downstream, Vinh Binh Commune (An Giang Province) serves as a model of multi-ecological agriculture, where farmers cultivate rice alongside shrimp, vegetables, and specialty pineapples. Here, agricultural production has been restructured to integrate technological advancements with environmental protection. Models such as rice–shrimp, rice–vegetable, and integrated shrimp farming (including black tiger, white-leg, and giant freshwater prawns) have proven sustainably effective — increasing income, improving soil quality, saving water, and reducing emissions.

In particular, Ba Dinh pineapple has become a source of pride for local residents. Alongside six three-star OCOP products, including dried banana, dried shrimp, dried snakehead fish, gourami fish, cantaloupe, and frozen striped catfish, Vinh Binh Commune has affirmed the vital role of cooperatives in integrating local specialty products into the province’s commodity value chains.

Both Tan Hoi and Vinh Binh share a common feature: the cooperative economy is becoming the core of advanced rural development, where people no longer produce individually but share resources, knowledge, and markets.

Farmers are no longer alone

Across the province, An Giang is asserting its pioneering role in developing the cooperative economy, particularly in agriculture. As of mid-2025, the province has 690 agricultural cooperatives, including 533 in crop production, 120 in aquaculture, 10 in livestock farming, and 27 in general services, with a total charter capital exceeding 660 billion VND and more than 43,000 members.

In addition, the province has five cooperative alliances comprising 53 member cooperatives and 3,552 cooperative groups operating effectively, managing more than 94,000 hectares of cultivated land. This extensive network serves as the backbone for implementing the Sustainable Development Project of One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice linked to green growth in the Mekong Delta, which the province is currently carrying out.

From this network, numerous exemplary linkage models have emerged. The My An GlobalGAP Agricultural Cooperative partners with Antesco Company to produce and export baby corn; The Cu Lao Gieng GAP Cooperative organizes a mango value chain for export to the United States, Australia, and South Korea, with internationally recognized planting area codes; The Duong Go Lo Agricultural Cooperative (Giong Rieng Commune) participates in the one-million-hectare rice project, auctioning rice and controlling quality under low-emission standards.

Parallel to these efforts, the province boasts 581 OCOP products rated three stars or higher, including 14 five-star and 52 four-star products, as well as the iconic Phu Quoc fish sauce, Vietnam’s first geographical indication protected in Europe.

These figures not only demonstrate the creativity of farmers but also affirm the active support of local authorities in fostering the cooperative economy.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment of An Giang Province, this success stems from the province’s concrete implementation of the Party’s central resolutions - particularly Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW on developing the collective economy, Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW on agriculture, farmers, and rural areas - along with the province’s action program on high-tech agricultural development.

Notably, An Giang is actively promoting digital transformation in the cooperative economy. From the implementation of Project 06 on citizen data to the adoption of traceability systems and digital farm diaries, cooperatives have begun to build modern management capacities. Most cooperatives have shifted from producing and selling raw materials to contract-based production, applying e-commerce and traceability technologies, expanding export markets, and creating momentum for innovation in agriculture and rural development.

An Giang’s agricultural sector continues to strengthen value chain linkages between enterprises, cooperatives, and farmers. The province focuses on encouraging land consolidation, forming large-scale fields, developing high-tech agriculture tied to raw material zones and processing centers, and expanding regional linkages. At the same time, it promotes agricultural tourism, the OCOP product program, and traditional craft villages to enhance local product value.

This model is considered a new growth driver, fostering the restructuring of the agricultural economy toward a green, circular, and low-emission direction.

By 2030, An Giang aims to become a regional hub for rice, aquaculture, and medicinal herbs in the Mekong Delta, linking agriculture with deep processing industries, biotechnology, natural pharmaceuticals, and clean energy. This vision is built on a strategy that places the cooperative economy as the foundation, science and technology as the driving force, and farmers at the center.

When farmers are no longer alone in their fields but become part of sustainable value chains alongside enterprises and scientists, that is when the cooperative economy truly becomes the backbone of An Giang’s agriculture - an agriculture undergoing profound transformation to reach the global market.

On its 80-year journey alongside the nation in building a green and sustainable agriculture, An Giang places its trust in cooperatives, seeing them not only as centers for joint production and shared benefits, but also as bridges linking knowledge, technology, and markets.

*USD 1 = VND 26.111 (source: Vietcombank)