Agricultural Development Service Cooperative 19/5 (Cooperative 19/5 - Moc Chau, Son La) was established in 2000 in the context of agricultural production inMoc ChauThe Northwest region in particular and the Northwest region in general still face many difficulties in terms of technology, output and resources.

With the advantage of hilly land blessed with a temperate climate, Mr. Mai Duc Thinh, Director of the 19/5 Cooperative, has oriented its development towards organic agriculture. The Cooperative focuses on building and improving the farming skills of its members, promoting the application of technical advances, taking advantage of favorable natural conditions to research and test production, and at the same time developing deep processing to increase the value of agricultural products.

The Cooperative signboard is erected high next to Highway 6. Photo:Duc Binh.

New direction associated with agricultural tourism

From the beginning, the Cooperative focused on developing production and finding sources of quality input materials at stable prices. Fertilizers, pesticides, and seedlings were carefully selected by the Cooperative from reputable units through introductions from research institutes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment such as the Fruit and Vegetable Research Institute, the Plant Protection Institute, the Maize Research Institute, etc. These cooperations helped the Cooperative quickly access and apply scientific and technical advances in production, bringing about clear results.

In the main production area, the cooperative arranges a diverse garden system including plums, peaches, avocados, pears, grapes, tea, vegetables... with many different varieties. This is both a place to provide quality agricultural products to the market and a highlight to serve tourists to visit and experience. The plants here grow healthily, bear fruit, creating a cool green space to attract tourists.

 

Mr. Mai Duc Thinh always has the mindset of constantly changing to meet market needs. Photo:Duc Binh.

One of the highlights of the 19/5 Cooperative is the combined grape growing model.ecotourism. The cooperative's vineyard has become a favorite destination for many tourists because of its beautiful scenery, heavy grape branches, and the ability to take photos and enjoy them right on the spot. Currently, the cooperative grows three main grape varieties including wild grapes, Korean milk grapes and Black Summer grapes.

Mr. Mai Duc Thinh shared: “Developing agricultural tourism helps farmers sell their products right in the garden, and at the same time, through tourism, promote the development of traditional industries and improve the quality of life. The cooperative has designed planting areas that are both technically correct and beautiful so that visitors can experience caring for and harvesting ripe fruits, bringing back unforgettable memories."

Agricultural tourism is becoming a new trend, bringing double value, both consuming local products and raising community awareness of sustainable agriculture. For the 19/5 Cooperative, this is an opportunity to expand consumption channels, reducing pressure on dependence on traditional markets.

The Cooperative often arranges members to be on duty at the gardens to be ready to support and answer questions from visitors. When the origin and growing method are verified, visitors are willing to spend money to buy the products, thanks to which the Cooperative always maintains and controls the selling price.

Each plant is labeled to help visitors easily recognize it. Photo:Duc Binh.

Create a closed production chain and deep processing

To optimize product value, for many years now, the 19/5 Cooperative has set the goal of organic production, applying a closed-loop circulation model. By-products from farming are reused for raising chickens, pigs, rabbits or composted with microorganisms to produce organic fertilizer. Conversely, waste from livestock is composted to make organic fertilizer for plants and create biogas for processing and daily life. This method both saves costs and reduces environmental pollution, ensuring harmonious development between the economy and ecological environment protection.

After more than 20 years, the 19/5 Cooperative now has more than 50 members, in addition to linking with about 200 farming households, managing over 110 hectares of crops. The Cooperative is also a pioneer in researching and developing varieties.fruit treesNew temperate plants by grafting method such as pear, peach... contribute to diversifying products and increasing economic value.

Along with expanding the area and variety of crops, the cooperative focuses on applying mechanization to agricultural production and processing. Systems of plows, tillers, sprayers, cutters, seeders, underground irrigation systems, greenhouses, cold storages, etc. are put into use, helping to save labor, improve productivity and quality of agricultural products.

The water tank is connected to an irrigation system that leads directly into the growing area. Photo:Duc Binh.

Another success of the cooperative is the development of deep processing, especially with products.plum. The Cooperative has invested in production lines and applied modern technology to process many products with its own brand such as plum wine, plum jam, and dried plums. The steam drying capacity has been increased from 100 kg to 600 kg of finished products per batch, meeting the growing market demand. On average, the Cooperative purchases about 400 tons of plums from farmers each year, creating stable output and increasing income for people.

From continuous efforts for more than two decades, up to now, 19/5 Cooperative owns 6 provincial-level OCOP products, of which 3 products meet 4-star standards, helping to develop livelihoods and bring high income to hundreds of farming households in the Moc Chau - Van Ho area, Son La province.