Page 79 - Agricultural innovation

5.8. Model of Binh Minh Cooperative of Young Teenagers in Dak Lak province
5.8.1. General information

In the process of socio-economic development in Vietnam, remote and ethnic minority areas always
have certain difficulties compared to regions with more developed industry and education. In
mountainous areas, ethnic minority areas often have outdated customs and habits that hinder the
overall development of the country. There, people do not have the will to get rich or have low self-
esteem in innovating, applying scientific and technological advances or new ways of doing things.
The cause of this slow development comes from a mindset that is afraid to innovate, is conservative
and refuses to learn, and even has no desire to change life. This partly explains the difference in socio-
economic or cultural conditions between regions and ethnic groups. Contributing to resolving this
difference, Vietnam has prioritized policies for ethnic minority children to attend boarding schools for
ethnic minorities, has priority criteria for admission to universities, etc. to create an intellectual force
that can return to build the countryside where they were born. In fact, the difficult living conditions
have somewhat limited the purpose of the policies. The number of practitioners who return to work
and work locally is not much. However, there are young intellectuals who have dared to stay in this
difficult place to start a business and enrich their ethnic community. That is the model of Binh Minh
Agricultural and Service Cooperative of a young woman, Dao ethnic minority, Trieu Thi Chau in Cu
Sue commune, Cu Mgar district, Dak Lak province.

5.8.2. Model development
Despite the regret of becoming an official in a certain governmental agency after graduating with
a bachelor’s degree from Central Highlands University, a young woman, Trieu Thi Chau, decided
to go back home to develop the economy, simply thinking that with her family’s coffee and pepper
garden, her family can live healthy and get rich easier. With her education level, this young woman has
regularly sought out scientific and technical guidance from books and the internet, actively participated
in agricultural extension training courses introduced by the Commune Women’s Union. From the
knowledge gained, she discussed with her family member to do intercropping coffee trees with pepper,
applying scientific knowledge to plant care. Initially, this intercropping method brought her a stable
income, helping her to raise 2 small children to study. Every year, after deducting production costs, her
family saves 80–100 million VND.
In the process of production and market access, Ms. Chau realized that negative weather affects
the yield of crops. Not only that, market prices often fluctuate, the products produced by farmers are
often pressured by traders, and income is very low compared to their demand. To overcome this, Ms.
Chau wishes to link farmers together to produce, buy and sell together to reduce production costs and
increase product selling prices. That’s why in August 2016, she connected with households in the same
village to establish Binh Minh Agriculture and Service Cooperative, which she was the director.
Initially, the cooperative attracted 27 members who are Dao ethnic people from the Northern
provinces to join the business, of which 17 people have university and college degrees with different
majors, the total capital contribution is over 900 million VND for sustainable coffee and pepper
production. These are the forces of young intellectuals with the same will to get rich in their own
homeland that have achieved certain successes in the following years. They are young people who
are enthusiastic to learn and explore through agricultural extension training courses organized by
districts and communes; conferences related to the development of coffee industry in the province
and outside the province. Through conferences, the young director surveyed the needs, introduced the
operation of the cooperative, sought capital support from large, reputable enterprises and purchased
coffee at a high price.

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