The report presented at the Congress indicated that during the 2020–2025 period, the collective and cooperative economic movement in Ca Mau Province recorded notable progress in terms of scale, operational quality, and social impact.

Elevating economic and political roles

Across the province, 312 new cooperatives were mobilized and established, reaching 156% of the resolution’s target and bringing the total number of cooperatives after consolidation to 608. Of these, 492 are official members of Ca Mau Cooperative Alliance, accounting for 81% of all cooperatives in the province.

Notably, the increase in the number of cooperatives has been accompanied by positive improvements in operational efficiency. Average annual income per cooperative member and worker reached VND 82 million per year, representing an 8.4% increase compared with the beginning of the term.

These figures more clearly reflect the role of cooperatives in job opportunity, income enhancement, and livelihood improvement for local people, particularly in rural, remote, and disadvantaged areas.

Moreover, the province has established 5 new cooperative unions, achieving 100% of the set target. Among them, 2 cooperative unions have developed production and business models based on value chains, with average revenues in 2025 estimated at VND 6.2 billion. This represents clear evidence of a trend toward large-scale linkages that overcome the limitations of small, fragmented production—long-standing bottlenecks of the collective economic sector.

Another bright spot in Ca Mau’s cooperative movement is the development of Party organizations within cooperatives. Province-wide, 23 cooperatives have established Party cells, with 191 Party members currently active. This not only helps strengthen the Party’s leadership role in the cooperative economic sector but also affirms that cooperatives are not merely economic entities; they are important social actors that closely link economic development with the strengthening of the grassroots political system.

At the same time, the Provincial Cooperative Alliance has placed strong emphasis on training and human resource development. During the 2020–2025 period, it organized 33 training courses for key officials at the commune, ward, and township levels, along with 19 courses for cooperative management staff, with a total budget of VND 1.32 billion. These efforts have laid an important foundation for enhancing governance and management capacity—decisive factors for the sustainable development of cooperatives.

Against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding digital economy, cooperatives in Ca Mau are gradually adopting and applying modern technologies in production and business operations. Many cooperatives have implemented AI, IoT, blockchain, traceability systems, and e-commerce, while building safe and circular agricultural supply chains. As a result, cooperative products are increasingly meeting stringent market standards, thereby improving added value and competitiveness.

A stronger grassroots focus, with cooperatives at the center

A clear outcome of these efforts during the 2020–2025 period is that 129 products from 53 cooperatives across the province were awarded OCOP 3-star and 4-star ratings. This achievement is not only the result of individual cooperatives’ efforts, but also reflects the Provincial Cooperative Alliance’s role as a key facilitator in supporting branding, trade promotion, and market linkage.

Speaking at the Congress, Ms. Cao Xuan Thu Van, President of Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, highly commended the efforts and contributions of the Ca Mau Provincial Cooperative Alliance in managing and developing the collective and cooperative economy in the province.

She also emphasized that in the new term, the Alliance’s activities must be truly grassroots-oriented, guided by the principle of “listening to cooperatives, speaking in ways cooperatives understand, and acting to earn their trust.”

Accordingly, the President of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance called for support in access to capital, technology investment, and improvements in operational quality to become consistent, long-term priorities, helping cooperatives remain resilient and grow in an increasingly competitive environment.

From the local perspective, speaking at the Congress, Mr. Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau People’s Committee, noted that the Provincial Cooperative Alliance should continue to assert its role as a solid “bridge” linking authorities, businesses, cooperatives, and the public.

In the new term, value chain linkages and digital transformation must become the primary development approaches, enabling cooperatives to gradually master technology and participate more deeply in markets—not only domestically but also internationally.

With the guiding principle of action “Solidarity – Innovation – Cooperation – Sustainable Development,” the Ca Mau Provincial Cooperative Alliance has set out specific targets for the 2025–2030 term. These include establishing 150 new cooperatives; ensuring that over 60% of collective economic organizations operate at good or fairly good levels of efficiency; striving for 60% of the rural population to become cooperative members; building at least 15 cooperative models applying high technology and digital transformation; and promoting the participation of 30% of cooperatives in sustainable value chain linkages.

These targets not only reflect strong political determination but also demonstrate the Alliance’s long-term vision of positioning the collective economy as a key pillar of the local economy. The First Congress therefore serves not only to review past achievements but also to usher in a new phase of development, in which cooperatives in Ca Mau are expected to play an increasingly important role in building a modern and sustainable rural economy.

Nhật Minh