Sustainable direction for women-led cooperatives

From processing turmeric starch and turmeric jam to utilizing tree trunks, residues and wastewater to make organic fertilizer and probiotics to treat ponds, Nhat Huy Cooperative (Khanh Binh, Tran Van Thoi, Ca Mau) owned by Ms. Lam Hang Ni has created a closed green value chain, contributing to building a green and sustainable agriculture .

From small retail buyers…

Starting out as a small-scale turmeric purchasing business, Ms. Lam Hang Ni boldly invested and successfully implemented a model of producing Ca Mau abalone turmeric starch. Not stopping there, she also established Nhat Huy Cooperative, with 8 members, including 6 female members, to develop together. As Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and Director, she always guides Nhat Huy Cooperative to develop in the direction of a green economy to create sustainable steps.

Recalling the early days of her business, Ms. Ni said: During the process of purchasing goods at the wholesale market, she noticed that many fresh turmeric roots were broken and had to be thrown away. The amount of discarded turmeric affected the income of farmers and buyers like her. This prompted her to look for a solution to increase the value of agricultural products and help farmers.

In 2017, Ni and her husband experimented with a model of processing turmeric starch from local abalone turmeric. Because the process was entirely manual, the quality and appearance of the turmeric starch were not as expected and the productivity was low. Through research and experience, in 2020, her family invested in buying a machine to grind and squeeze, converting from hot drying technology to cold drying to preserve the nutritional value of the product. Her model has begun to apply science and technology but on a small scale.

Ms. Lam Hang Ni, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and Director of Nhat Huy Cooperative (Khanh Binh, Tran Van Thoi, Ca Mau).

Ms. Hang Ni shared: "Curcumin in Ca Mau has long been considered a valuable medicinal plant and brings economic efficiency to growers. Products made from turmeric starch have high nutritional content and are beneficial for health. I realized that many products on the market do not really guarantee quality. Therefore, I am determined to create a completely natural turmeric starch product with a clear and reputable origin. In addition, I want to help rural women have more jobs by growing turmeric from garden land and empty embankments to increase income".

...to cooperatives developing towards green economy

Recognizing the potential of Ms. Ni's model development, the local Women's Union helped her establish a cooperative in 2022. In particular, after accessing the Project "Supporting cooperatives managed by women, creating jobs for female workers by 2030" (Project 01), Nhat Huy Cooperative has been supported to expand its production scale and improve product quality. "I have participated in classes to improve cooperative management skills. Thanks to that, I know how to assign specific roles to promote the capacity of each member. Our cooperative boldly bought more grinders and dryers and started production on a larger scale" - Ms. Ni said.

In addition to building a brand and linking farmers, Nhat Huy Cooperative has created a surprising green value chain. Accordingly, the cooperative's turmeric gardens do not use pesticides but only use organic fertilizers. Turmeric stems and leaves are composted as organic fertilizer for the next crop, contributing to soil improvement and environmental protection. The Cooperative also researches and develops a process of treating turmeric residues with microorganisms to create supplementary feed for chickens, contributing to reducing intestinal diseases in livestock. This is clear evidence that developing production towards green transformation not only brings economic benefits but also protects the environment and improves the quality of life.

"Using microorganisms from turmeric to treat ponds has helped farmers save a large amount of money on buying water treatment drugs. Through the last crop, farmers have clearly seen the effectiveness when tilapia grow well, pond water is clean, and especially they no longer have to worry about environmental pollution. In previous crops, farmers often spent 17-18 million on water treatment drugs, but this crop did not cost a penny," Ms. Ni explained.

The project of developing a green transformation economy from Ca Mau turmeric - Nhat Huy Cooperative of Ms. Lam Hang Ni won the third prize of the 2024 Women's Startup Competition in the Southern region and the national encouragement prize.

With the efforts of the members of the cooperative as well as the great support of the local Women's Union, Nhat Huy Cooperative has been supported with loans, market connections, and administrative procedure guidance to improve management capacity. Currently, the cooperative's turmeric starch product has achieved OCOP 3 certification. Each month, the cooperative sells 50-60 kg of turmeric starch; it is expected to continue to expand the market and register 2 new OCOP products.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thuy, Vice President of the Women's Union of Ca Mau Province, said: Ca Mau Province currently has more than 200 cooperatives, of which about 20% are led and managed by women. Implementing Project 01, the Women's Union of the province is focusing on supporting 16 cooperatives managed by the Union. This is the first step to assess needs and develop appropriate support programs. After that, the Union will expand support to other cooperatives, in order to promote the development of the collective economy in the locality.

"Cooperatives managed by women in the area mainly focus on the agricultural sector. Women's Unions at all levels have actively promoted and supported women interested in developing towards green transformation. Fortunately, women have a very good awareness of green transformation, with the top priority being ensuring food safety and hygiene and protecting the environment," said Ms. Thuy.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/phat-trien-kinh-te-xanh-huong-di-ben-vung-cho-hop-tac-xa-do-phu-nu-tham-gia-quan-ly-20241122143932901.htm