CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES AND ITS SERVICE PERFORMANCE IN BAC NINH PROVINCE, VIETNAM

The current characteristics of agricultural cooperatives in Bac Ninh province of Vietnam were investigated and the performance of their service activities were empirically assessed. The study found that most of the agricultural cooperatives in Bac Ninh province were village-based transformed cooperatives with very small capital. All agricultural cooperatives there provided multiple services to farm households. However, most of them focused on irrigation, extension, seed supply and field protection services while very few provided marketing and credit services. Farmers’ comparative opinions on services offered by the cooperatives and the private individuals proved that the cooperatives played the important role in providing irrigation, field protection, extension, and crop varieties supply services, but only a small role in land preparation, fertilizers and pesticide supply, and a very infinitesimal role in marketing and credit services. The lack of qualified staff and shortage of capital were currently serious problems in most of the agricultural cooperatives in Bac Ninh. The improvement of the management capacity of the cooperative staff and accessibility of the cooperatives to financial sources as well as the enhancement of their marketing services to support farm households would be the essential ways to fortify the cooperative’s roles in the future.