Official website of BK Food High-Tech Agriculture Cooperative (Bach Thong commune) at address https://bkfoods.org

The Northern area of Thai Nguyen province currently has nearly 490 cooperatives, of which the majority operates mainly in the fields of agriculture - forestry and agricultural product processing. Previously, most cooperatives still maintained traditional management methods, manual bookkeeping and product sales through traders or small retail markets. This made production and business activities lack transparency, difficult to expand in scale and added value was not high.

In recent years, along with the deployment of the National Digital Transformation Program and the province's schemes and plans, many cooperatives in the area have begun to change their thinking, gradually accessing digital technology. From using accounting software and member management to building websites, fanpages and registering booths on e-commerce platforms... digital transformation is gradually present in the daily activities of cooperatives. One of the clearest effects of digital transformation for cooperatives in the Northern area today is the ability to expand consumption markets. Through e-commerce platforms, social networks and digital platforms, many characteristic agricultural products such as: Arrowroot vermicelli, fragrant squash, sticky rice, essential oils and other OCOP products have gone beyond the local scope, reaching consumers in many provinces and cities nationwide.

Members of Thien An Cooperative (Phu Thong commune) performing hand embroidery steps on brocade products

Ms. Ly Thi Quyen, Director of Thien An Cooperative (Phu Thong commune) said: “Currently, 9 products meeting OCOP standards of the Cooperative, including: Dried bananas, Red Dao herbal bath and foot soak, brocade bags, tea coaster sets, tablecloths, wall paintings, pillows, brocade keychains are present on major domestic e-commerce platforms and supported by Viettel Thai Nguyen Branch with Shopone goods management software copyright. The Cooperative has also managed goods, inventory, customers and revenue on an information technology platform scientifically and effectively. Regarding goods transportation, the Cooperative coordinates with Viettelpost and VNPost, so shipping products to customers is more favorable and easier. Thanks to changing thinking and accessing digital technology, the Cooperative's revenue increases every year. If in 2020, the Cooperative's revenue only reached about VND 800 million, in 2025 it is estimated to reach over VND 3 billion”.

The application of QR codes for traceability has contributed to improving product value, meeting the increasingly high requirements of the market regarding quality, food safety and transparency. From there, many cooperatives have step-by-step built brands, reduced dependence on traders, thereby increasing revenue and income for members. Ms. Le Thi Huong, Director of BK Food High-Tech Agriculture Cooperative (Bach Thong commune) said: “When the Cooperative's products are attached with traceability QR codes and put on e-commerce platforms, customers are more trusting and consumption is also much more favorable than before. Thanks to applying digital transformation, the Cooperative not only increases revenue but also proactively promotes products and expands consumption markets”.

Cooperatives in Duc Xuan ward participating in a capacity building training class for agricultural cooperatives in 2025 organized by the Sub-Department of Rural Development and Cooperatives (Department of Agriculture and Environment) of Thai Nguyen province

Clearly recognizing the role of digital transformation for the collective economic sector, in recent times, local authorities of Northern communes have deployed many programs supporting cooperatives such as: Training digital skills, supporting brand building, traceability, connecting product consumption in the network environment. Ms. Ta Thi Lan Anh, Vice Chairwoman of Duc Xuan Ward People's Committee affirmed: “Digital transformation in cooperatives is not just applying technology, but changing the way of thinking and doing. Duc Xuan determines to continue accompanying cooperatives through creating conditions for cooperatives to participate in training courses on digital transformation in receiving dossiers, scoring, classifying products and managing products; digitizing products and building traceability systems according to the OCOP product value chain…, step by step forming a team of cooperatives with digital capacity, meeting development requirements in the new period”.

Reality shows that cooperatives boldly leading in digital transformation all have positive changes in operational efficiency and position in the market. In the context of integration and increasingly fierce competition, digital transformation is no longer a choice but an inevitable requirement for cooperatives if they want to develop sustainably. With the synchronous involvement of the administration, functional sectors and proactive innovation from cooperatives themselves, digital transformation promises to become an important “lever”, contributing to improving collective economic efficiency, promoting socio-economic development of localities in the Northern area in particular and in the entire Thai Nguyen province in the next period.