To help OCOP products reach a wider market.

While attending the 50th anniversary celebration of the liberation of my hometown in Tuy Phong district, I had the opportunity to visit the booths displaying local OCOP products. I discovered that many new and unique products were being introduced there but had not been widely promoted or known to many people in the province.

Many delegates visiting the booths shared a common question: "Where can I order these products on a regular day?" Most booth owners would hand out business cards, provide phone numbers, and promise home delivery if requested, as there was no centralized sales point for local OCOP products.

Last time, my friend traveled through Lien Huong town and heard people say that the town has many attractive OCOP (One Commune One Product) products such as grapes, apples, cantaloupe, rice, cinnamon sausage, etc., so she wanted to ask me where to buy them as souvenirs. Honestly, I didn't know of any centralized selling points where tourists could go to buy them. I called a few friends and learned that most OCOP product vendors sell from their homes. If customers live far away and want to buy, they will send them by courier if it's convenient or deliver them via post office .

Booths displaying OCOP products at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the homeland in Tuy Phong district.

OCOP stands for One Commune (One Product) program. The program focuses on developing the production and business of traditional products with advantages in rural areas along the value chain, implemented by private and collective economic entities. This is a key solution to increase the economic value of agriculture, contributing to the national target program for building new rural areas. More importantly, the accumulated value in each OCOP product becomes a source of pride in the traditions, cultural and historical depth of the land, and honors the intelligence, hands, and labor of the farmers.

The fresh and dried apples from Phong Phu Agricultural Services Cooperative have achieved a 3-star rating.

To date, the province has more than 128 OCOP-certified products (including 94 3-star products, 32 4-star products, and 2 potential 5-star products) and 60 typical rural industrial products. Among these, the most prominent are processed seafood products (traditional fish sauce, various seafood specialties), dragon fruit (dried, chewy, jam, wine, soft drinks, etc.), products from bird's nests, and a diverse range of other agricultural products.

Many OCOP products contribute to enhancing the value of regional specialties in the locality.

In recent times, Binh Thuan province has actively managed, built brands, promoted trade, and advertised OCOP products. Provincial and district-level authorities regularly and continuously introduce OCOP products and traditional craft villages through OCOP fairs, agricultural product fairs, and trade fairs both within and outside the province. In addition, two showrooms showcasing and selling Binh Thuan OCOP products have been opened at 341 Vo Van Kiet Street, Phu Thuy Ward and 155 Nguyen Thong Street, Phu Hai Ward – Phan Thiet City. Furthermore, some Binh Thuan OCOP products are also displayed and sold at Co.op Mart supermarkets in Phan Thiet, La Gi, and Phan Ri Cua. Simultaneously, OCOP product producers are also actively selling online, consigning products, and participating in trade events and supply-demand connections.

Binh Thuan province has actively managed, built brands, promoted trade, and advertised OCOP products.

Undeniably, many OCOP products have played the role of "cultural ambassadors," showcasing the unique customs, lifestyles, and rich traditions of local people. Thanks to OCOP, rural people have jobs, stable incomes, improved education, and widespread recognition, contributing to enhancing the value of regional specialties. This creates more opportunities for OCOP products to access the domestic market and aim for export in the future. Many farmers and individual households have become exemplary models of overcoming difficulties and becoming wealthy through agricultural production.

However, it must be acknowledged that there are still bottlenecks in accessing OCOP products. In reality, while some OCOP product display and sales points have been established in the province, very few people know about them, and the product range is not as diverse and abundant as customers desire. As a province with a developed tourism industry, tourists also want to enjoy the local specialties, see and touch the products made by local farmers firsthand, and buy them as gifts.

Therefore, tourist destinations should have shopping areas specializing in selling local specialties, goods, and OCOP (One Commune One Product) products characteristic of that region. This way, when visitors from afar come to Binh Thuan and want to buy OCOP products, they will know where to go.

Source: https://baobinhthuan.com.vn/de-san-pham-ocop-vuon-xa-129640.html