Deputy Chairman of the Vietnam Farmers’ Union, Mr. Pham Tien Nam and director of Yen Duong Cooperative (in red shirt) examined the model of seaweed cultivating in Yen Duong, Ba Be, Bac Kan

Members of cooperatives, collective groups in Yen Bai province understand the benefits of group work and cooperation, get more market information, invest together in production, join the processing for better value addition, finding partners, companies to buy products with better prices, developing members, improving knowledge, skills and techniques, understanding sustainable forest management and development.

The same with other provinces, FFF Phase II has been implemented in Bac Kan province from 2019, directly implemented by the Provincial Farmers’ Union. The main objective is to change farmers' thinking and awareness in the process of forest and farm economic development. Thence, improving production capacity, actively contributing to sustainable poverty reduction.
 
My Phuong and Yen Duong commune (Ba Be) and Phuong Vien (Cho Don) were selected to participate in FFF Phase II. The project has established core groups and local facilitators at the provincial, district and commune levels, as well as conducted skills training, propaganda, coaching, and capacity building for group members.
 
Especially, for the collective groups, cooperatives, forest and farm farmers in the project implementation area have accessed to information, good practices in agricultural and forestry production, understand the benefits of group work to organize production in association with environmental protection.
 
Tong Chieu cooperative group, Bang Vien 2 village, Phuong Vien commune was established in October 2019 with 6 members. Since participating in the FFF Program, the members have specifically implemented the reorganizing of forest and farm production areas.
 
The program has significantly changed the thinking of economic development of farmers, especially the ethnic minorities. Typically, members and associated households of Yen Duong Cooperative are mainly Dao ethnic women.
 
Through the trainings and exchange visits to successful models, some traditional farming methods of people there are gradually eliminated, replaced by new appropriate techniques.

Currently, the cooperative has successfully deployed many effective production models such as: Growing organic fragrant zucchini; organic Nep Tai rice; growing medicinal plants including cyanosis, black musk; handicraft knitting, etc. bring high economic value.
 
For My Phuong commune, a number of simple collective groups have now combined members to form cooperatives, focusing on exploiting local strengths such as: Ta Anh Cooperative focuses on product development of star anise oil, fruit tree planting, afforestation, etc.
 
After more than a year of implementation of the 2^nd phase, the success of the Program is to help farmers linking together, linking with cooperatives and businesses to build value chains.
 
Members of collective groups and cooperatives participating in the Program already know how to access market and advertise products at shops, supermarkets and fairs; branding products in the market such as Bao Thai Rice, Japonica rice of Hoan Thanh Cooperative; brocade textile products, bamboo and rattan handicrafts, Nep Tai rice, bitter melon from Yen Duong Cooperative; squash, stewed pork ribs, pork on the kitchen guard of Nhung Luy Cooperative, etc.
 
With the benefits brought by the FFF Program, good models and practices are being spread strongly. People, especially women, young people, and ethnic minorities have improved their knowledge in production and trading of agricultural and forestry products, contributing to improving production and business efficiency, poverty reduction and get rich.