Spreading the strength of the multi-sector cooperative model

Momentum from the multi-sector cooperative model

Da Nang recently had two outstanding units honored with the "Cooperative Star" award for 2026, presented by the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance. The recognition reflects the innovative efforts of cooperatives in adapting to market mechanisms, while both improving members' livelihoods and contributing to new-style rural development and civilized urban growth.

Established in 1978, the Dai Hiep Agricultural Services and General Business Cooperative (Dai Loc commune) has grown into a multi-sector, multi-field collective economic model of expanding scale.

According to Pham Thanh Su, Director of the Cooperative, the decisive factor behind the unit's sustainable growth has been a continuous mindset of innovation. Starting from traditional agricultural services such as land preparation, irrigation, and supply of production inputs, the Cooperative has boldly expanded into other fields, including tunnel-kiln brick production, rural transport infrastructure construction, rural electricity distribution, and garment subcontracting.

The Cooperative now has 1,950 members and posted revenue of more than 32 billion VND (about $1.25 million) in 2025. Beyond securing benefits for its capital-contributing members, the unit also provides regular employment for around 150 local workers, with an average income of 6.7 million VND (about $261) per month. The harmonious combination of agriculture, industry, and services has generated significant added value, helping drive an effective and sustainable shift in the rural labor structure.

In agriculture, the Cooperative handles nearly all input services while also supporting product sales, helping keep local rice production stable amid market fluctuations.

In its general business operations, continuous improvements to tunnel-kiln brick designs, combined with the application of modern production technology, have helped the Cooperative's products better meet consumer needs.

Notably, in rural electricity distribution, the unit regularly invests in upgrading its low-voltage grid and improving management practices to meet increasingly demanding technical standards, effectively serving residents' daily and production needs.

Pham Thanh Su said it is precisely this flexibility in organizing production, along with joint-venture and partnership activities, that has enabled the Cooperative to consistently play a pioneering role in local socioeconomic development movements.

Support for members

Also honored with this year's "Cooperative Star" award, the Da Nang Transport and Tourism Vehicle Support Services Cooperative (An Hai ward) stands as a model unit in the transport sector. Over 48 years of formation and development, the unit has gradually built a new-style cooperative model, effectively harnessing collective strength by pooling assets, responsibilities, and management methods among its members.

Tran Doan, Director of the Cooperative, said the unit's long-term goal is to build a sustainable partnership environment in which small, individual transport operators can support one another's growth. The Cooperative currently has 192 members with 176 regularly operating vehicles, offering various services including fixed-route passenger transport, freight transport, tourist vehicles, and mechanical services.

One of the unit's standout features is its well-organized system of member support services. The Cooperative directly operates transport routes, signs contracts with stations and insurance agents, and provides credit-guarantee support to help members obtain loans to invest in new vehicles.

As a result, many members have confidently renewed their vehicle fleets, improved service quality, and created stable jobs for nearly 300 workers.

Throughout its operations, the Cooperative has strictly complied with legal regulations and ensured traffic safety. For many consecutive years, its staff and members have avoided any disciplinary violations or workplace accidents. This partnership model has not only helped reduce risk for individual transport operators but has also helped build a transparent, responsible business environment, contributing positively to maintaining transport order and social welfare in the area.

What the two honored cooperatives share in common is a persistent commitment to the collective economic model, paired with continuous innovation in management methods. Rather than operating along old lines, both units have proactively placed member benefits at the center of their operations and treated market demand as the measure of their development.

The "Cooperative Star" award is not only a fitting recognition for units with outstanding achievements but also a source of encouragement for cooperatives and for Da Nang's collective economic sector more broadly to continue fostering self-reliance, creativity, and resilience in overcoming challenges, contributing further to the locality's socioeconomic development.