Agricultural cooperatives in HCMC face difficulties

Only 41 out of 68 cooperatives registered in agricultural field have been operating in HCMC as of August 14, including 24 well performing ones accounting for 58.5 percent, reported the city Department of Agriculture and Rural Development yesterday.

A dairy cow farm in Cu Chi district, HCMC (Photo: SGGP)

At a meeting with the Economics-Budget Committee of the HCMC People’s Council, the department said that of the 41 cooperatives, 15 have not operated efficiently and two have been under performance.

Seven out of 41 cooperatives have attended safe food supply chains. The Government and HCMC have implemented many assistance policies for agricultural cooperatives to develop such as human resources development, trade promotion, market expansion, science and technology application and credit assistances.

However, agricultural cooperatives have still faced difficulties in material infrastructures, capital, human resource, consumption, land and credit access.

Deputy director of the department Tran Ngoc Ho said that production reorganization through cooperatives help farmers to stand firm in the market economy. However the ratio of farmers attending cooperatives is very low.

HCMC should review, adjust and supplement policies especially capital polices to for cooperatives to develop.

Head of the Economics-Budget Committee Nguyen Van Dung proposed agencies to completely solve proposals and problems for cooperatives, adding that suitable policy system is the motive power for cooperatives to develop but the most importance is their self-reliance.