For the sustainable development of OCOP in Lam Dong

Lam Dong's OCOP program needs to have more outstanding characteristics and a larger scale to create new strengths in development and consumption.

New opportunities and challenges

Over the years, the OCOP program, promoted by Party committees and local authorities, has made a positive contribution to socio-economic development, especially to agricultural economic development and the construction of new rural areas.

Lam Dong province's OCOP program contributes to shaping the strengths of the rural economy (Photo: Farmers in Quang Phu commune harvesting Viet GAP rice for processing into 4-star OCOP rice).

The number and variety of OCOP products in each locality have developed in conjunction with their own unique characteristics. However, it can be seen that with the emergence of new opportunities, the development of OCOP is posing several major requirements and challenges for mutual growth.

In particular, the requirement to identify outstanding characteristics, on a provincial or larger regional scale, can be seen as an opportunity for Lam Dong's OCOP program to reorganize and connect, forming new strengths for itself.

As a newly recognized entity with 3 OCOP 4-star products at the provincial level in 2025, including freeze-dried green peppers, freeze-dried fruits, and roasted salted cashews, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Huong, from Sachi Thinh Phat Import-Export Trading Co., Ltd., Dong Gia Nghia ward, said: Regarding freeze-dried fruit products, the company has dried many different types of fruits, including some products characteristic of other regions such as strawberries and dragon fruit.

Pre-processing of products in preparation for freeze-drying fruit at Sachi Thinh Phat Trading and Import-Export Co., Ltd., Dong Gia Nghia Ward.

In this new development space, she expects some of her products to have greater opportunities for growth through establishing stable, high-quality raw material sources.

The company has invested in building a 1,000m2 factory and many advanced equipment to serve the preliminary processing and processing of agricultural products, such as raw material storage warehouses, peeling machines, drying machines, seed sorting machines, and vacuum packaging machines.

The company invested in three cold storage facilities for storing and preserving raw materials and products, and a freeze-drying system capable of drying 5 tons per batch.

Freeze-drying system for fruits at Sachi Thinh Phat Trading and Import-Export Co., Ltd., Dong Gia Nghia Ward.

"The opportunity to expand the raw material area is great, but it also means that to increase the value of OCOP products, we must improve quality and meet standards and regulations from the growing area, the factory, the final product to the customer. This is a significant challenge," Ms. Huong affirmed.

As the owner of the 3-star OCOP product, Bon Hiep Coffee, Mr. Truong Cong Hiep, Director of Bon Hiep One-Member Limited Company in Quang Tin commune, said that the unique feature of Bon Hiep coffee is the wet processing method, which has outstanding advantages compared to dry processing, namely creating a special quality and flavor due to the fermentation process.

Bon Hiep Coffee, produced by Bon Hiep One-Member Limited Liability Company in Quang Tin commune, is processed using a portion of Cau Dat Arabica coffee beans grown in Xuan Truong and Xuan Tho communes of the former Da Lat city.

Thanks to these outstanding characteristics, the Bon Hiep coffee brand has quickly gained recognition from tasting experts and organizations both domestically and internationally as a high-quality product.

Typically, the Asian Business Research and Development Center (Ho Chi Minh City) certified Bon Hiep coffee as a strong ASEAN brand in 2019 (ASEAN Brand Awards 2019).

The Asian Economic Research Institute and the Institute for Competitiveness Index Survey and Evaluation certified the product as one of the "Top 10 Strongest Brands in Vietnam, Outstanding Vietnamese Entrepreneurs of the 4th Edition 2019". In 2023, Bon Hiep coffee was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product.

Mr. Truong Cong Hiep further revealed that the unique feature of the 3-star OCOP Bon Hiep coffee product lies in its harmonious blend of robusta and arabica coffee from Cau Dat, in Xuan Truong and Xuan Tho communes, formerly part of Da Lat city.

Located at an altitude of over 1650m above sea level, this area enjoys low temperatures, ideal for producing the "brown pearls" of Lam Dong, whose many qualities are recognized by coffee connoisseurs worldwide. Every year, businesses must purchase a certain quantity of these beans to process into powdered coffee products.

Lam Dong currently has 725 OCOP products, including 7 national-level 5-star OCOP products, while the rest are provincial-level 3- and 4-star OCOP products.

Mr. Hiep affirmed: "Perhaps the opportunity for my OCOP product is very great, as it is more favorable in terms of linkages, but this also means that I must actively find more unique and distinctive features, or link and coordinate with other entities in other communes in the province to have a more competitive product so as not to be overshadowed in the coffee product line."

To achieve this, businesses like his need substantial capital to expand their partnerships, invest in machinery and technology, and market their products.

5 key solutions

For Lam Dong province, which possesses a distinct strength in high-tech agriculture and a diverse product ecosystem ranging from temperate vegetables and fruits, coffee, and tea to medicinal herbs, developing the OCOP program presents a significant opportunity to establish a local brand. However, for Lam Dong's OCOP program to develop sustainably and reach national and international markets, the province needs to adhere to the overall direction and flexibly implement solutions tailored to local conditions, from raw material area planning and technological innovation to developing supply chain linkages.

On June 22, 2025, speaking at the National Conference summarizing the National Target Program on Building New Rural Areas and the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction for the period 2021-2025, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh affirmed that OCOP (One Commune One Product) has made a significant contribution to the rural economy, creating new industries and added value for agriculture, farmers, and rural areas.

However, the Prime Minister believes that the OCOP program needs to focus on five major issues to ensure sustainability. These are: increasing intrinsic value, including stable and high-quality raw material sources; better mobilizing support from businesses; increasing the scientific and technological content to create outstanding products of international caliber; building brands and attracting major brands to invest in OCOP; and allocating capital appropriately for the development and consumption of OCOP products.

To effectively implement the Prime Minister 's directives on the OCOP Program, localities need to focus on reviewing, planning, and developing stable raw material areas, ensuring quality, and establishing close links with processing and consumption organizations and businesses. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen efforts to attract businesses to participate in the production and processing process, and support consumption, especially for products with the potential to develop into national products.

Simultaneously, the application of science and technology must be considered a key solution to enhance the value, quality, and distinctiveness of OCOP products. Localities also need to promote the development and marketing of OCOP brands associated with cultural identity and regional advantages, attracting major brands to invest in and develop OCOP products on a large scale.

Furthermore, it is necessary to allocate financial resources rationally and diversify funding sources from the budget, preferential credit, businesses, and the community to support production, promote trade, and expand sustainable markets for OCOP products.

According to initial statistics, Lam Dong currently has 725 OCOP products, including 7 five-star national-level products, while the rest are three- and four-star provincial-level OCOP products. Looking at the number, it's clear that the province has quite a lot of OCOP products; however, the number at the national level is still relatively small.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/de-ocop-lam-dong-phat-trien-ben-vung-290832.html