To modernize and boost the OCOP ecosystem in Ho Chi Minh City.

With 1,006 OCOP products, Ho Chi Minh City aims to improve quality, reposition itself, and move towards a 4-5 star gift line, meeting the needs of domestic and international tourists.

Following the merger, Ho Chi Minh City entered a period of strong restructuring, not only in terms of development space but also in the ecosystem of distinctive local products. In this context, the OCOP program is seen as a "passport" for agricultural products, handicraft products, and characteristic gifts of the city to be more clearly present on the national value map. With 1,006 recognized products, ranking among the leading groups nationwide, Ho Chi Minh City still has significant room for breakthroughs, especially as the domestic and international tourism markets are recovering.

The Agriculture and Environment Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Director of the Trade Promotion Center ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ), about the potential, direction, and obstacles that need to be overcome in the coming time.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Director of the Trade Promotion Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Photo: Le Binh .

Repositioning the OCOP ecosystem after the merger.

First, how do you assess Ho Chi Minh City's OCOP products and the local potential, especially after the merger?

It can be said that 'Ho Chi Minh City OCOP - Integration and Development' is the first event in Ho Chi Minh City after the merger, aimed at promoting and connecting brands for OCOP products of the city, as well as of the whole country. After 7 years of implementing the OCOP program and following the merger, the number of OCOP products in Ho Chi Minh City is now relatively large, with 1,006 products and a great diversity. Ho Chi Minh City is among the top 5 localities with the largest number of OCOP products in the country. We see products from traditional craft villages such as the pottery village of Binh Duong, the seafood craft village of Ba Ria - Vung Tau, or the ornamental plant and ornamental fish craft villages of Ho Chi Minh City.

However, despite the large number, we see that most new products are rated 3-4 stars, and there are no 5-star products yet. These are points that need to be repositioned for the OCOP product group in the future. We see that most of the products from these entities and businesses are small and have limited scale, making mass production impossible.

According to him, what is the most important direction for Ho Chi Minh City to upgrade the design, packaging, and diversify the ecosystem of OCOP products, in order to meet domestic and international demands?

Based on positioning OCOP products as distinct products, international tourists typically purchase souvenirs and gifts, while domestic tourists tend to focus on food and beverage products.

By identifying those market segments, we can determine and create suitable packaging designs and formats. Ho Chi Minh City needs to support businesses in changing their packaging designs. In reality, while OCOP product designs have improved, the amount of information and images on them generally doesn't convey the story of origin, and the presentation lacks impact.

In particular, if we are targeting international tourists, the designs must be environmentally friendly. For domestic tourists, the quantity and size need to be suitable for convenient transportation. Ho Chi Minh City also needs to expand its ecosystems and OCOP products because the locality currently has many different industries… However, in reality, most products are still quite simple. For example, dried products like dried fish and squid are still just traditional products.

Ho Chi Minh City has many 4-star OCOP products, suitable as gifts. Photo: Le Binh .

In fact, with similar OCOP products in other localities, they add more spices, creating products that can be consumed immediately. This suits many target groups, especially young people. Products with attractive and convenient packaging are perhaps what OCOP products in Ho Chi Minh City are still lacking.

Raise the standard of gifts and open up digital channels to attract tourists.

What do you consider to be the key factors for Ho Chi Minh City to build a strong brand and compelling story for its OCOP products, meeting the needs of both domestic and international tourists?

In my opinion, Ho Chi Minh City needs to focus on building brands and the stories behind those products. For example, Binh Duong has very unique pottery and lacquerware villages. However, we need to position these product groups so that they become 4-5 star OCOP products. Ho Chi Minh City needs to support businesses in improving product quality, aiming for OCOP gift products. In reality, the Ho Chi Minh City market has a lot of demand and huge potential.

We see that after the merger, Ho Chi Minh City has a very diverse range of tourism products, from historical tourism like the Cu Chi Tunnels to beach tourism in Vung Tau, and ecotourism in Binh Duong… these are the customer groups we are targeting.

Regarding digital transformation, what do you think OCOP businesses in Ho Chi Minh City need to do to build their image and effectively operate sales channels on current e-commerce platforms?

In the current context, digital transformation is taking place very strongly. This is truly a new trend. We should not only transform digitally as a method, but also to change the mindset of stakeholders. The first step is positioning in trade promotion on e-commerce platforms, especially social media platforms.

Although, in recent times, many agencies such as the Department of Industry and Trade, the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Policy Research, etc., have supported the enhancement of digital transformation capacity for retailers, we need to further promote and create the capacity for each entity to open its own sales channel. This would involve creating video clips and content that tell the story of the product, its origin, etc. From there, consumers will become more interested in understanding the product, feel more secure, and make better purchasing decisions.

OCOP products from Ho Chi Minh City need to be promoted more effectively at trade and networking events, as well as on social media and e-commerce platforms. Photo: Le Binh .

Enhancing our digital transformation capabilities makes it easier for consumers to trace the origin of products, brands, and ensure food safety and hygiene. We also hope that the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee will direct the Department of Agriculture and Environment to continue organizing trade connection events for OCOP products and develop appropriate commercial channels to further expand the reach of these products.

Thank you, sir!

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/de-he-sinh-thai-ocop-tphcm-hien-dai-but-pha-d787686.html