Attending the event were Cha A Cua, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, along with leaders of provincial departments and agencies, and representatives of 90 exemplary cooperatives across the province.

Participants reviewed the 80-year tradition since President Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter calling on landowners and farmers to join agricultural cooperatives (April 11, 1946 – 2026), and responded to the 2026 Month of Action for Cooperatives and Vietnam Cooperatives Day (April 11).

Themed “Vietnamese Cooperatives – 80 Years Accompanying the Nation,” the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance launched a Month of Action featuring a series of activities throughout 2026 to raise awareness of the significance of the 80-year development journey of Vietnam’s cooperative movement.

In Son La, in recent years, the collective economy and cooperatives have seen notable growth in both quantity and quality. The province currently has 835 active cooperatives, an increase of 126.3% compared to 2021, with an average of about 100 new cooperatives established annually. The total registered capital of cooperatives has reached about 700 billion VND (26.58 million USD), up 130.4% from 2021.

The province has 42,000 cooperative members, creating stable employment for more than 14,000 workers. The average annual revenue of a cooperative is 3.6 billion VND, with average profits ranging from 300 to 500 million VND per year. The average monthly income of members and workers ranges from 6 to 7 million VND per person.

The management workforce of cooperatives has been strengthened, totaling 3,000 people, of whom 45% hold intermediate-level qualifications or higher. The cooperative sector has made significant contributions to implementing the “One Commune One Product” (OCOP) programme, with 150 OCOP products rated three stars or higher.

Speaking at the event, Cha A Cua acknowledged and praised the achievements of the provincial Cooperative Alliance. He expressed his hope that the alliance would continue to effectively implement mechanisms and policies in accordance with the 2023 Cooperative Law; and promote restructuring and improve the operational efficiency of cooperatives in line with central and provincial orientations. 

It will focus on developing human resources and enhancing cooperative governance capacity; and establish mechanisms to attract intellectuals and technical experts to participate in the development of the collective economy. 

He also emphasised the importance of promoting the application of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in cooperatives, as well as strengthening coordination with relevant departments and sectors to support cooperatives in applying technologies in management, production, processing, traceability, product sale, trade promotion, market expansion, and brand building.

On this occasion, the Chairman of the provincial Cooperative Alliance awarded certificates of merit to 10 collectives and 10 individuals for their outstanding achievements in “Building and Developing the Collective Economy and Cooperatives of Son La province in 2025.”