Leverage to promote rural economy from OCOP program

The OCOP program is identified as an important step in building new rural areas, not only helping to increase the value and gradually bring local specialties from the village to the city, but also promoting the creativity and intelligence of the people.

 

After 5 years of implementation, the program has changed the mindset of agricultural production, helped increase income and acted as a lever for rural economic development.

 

Changing production thinking

 

From small-scale production in the household style, purchasing raw lotus seeds to process, peel and sell fresh lotus seeds at wholesale markets, up to now, Dong Hoa Lotus Agricultural Service Cooperative (Dong Hoa Town) has invested in machinery, equipment, researched and processed dozens of lotus products such as: lotus seed powder, lotus heart tea, lotus root powder, lotus leaf tea... to sell to the market.

 

Ms. Pham Thi Bich Thuy, Director of this Cooperative, said: In 2021, when I learned about the OCOP Program, I immediately registered to participate. With the consulting support of specialized agencies, production, packaging, labeling and market access have completely changed. Currently, the Cooperative's products are present in 63 provinces and cities across the country; at the same time, they are exported to the Malaysian and Indian markets, bringing in revenue of more than 1 billion VND per year.

 

Similarly, in order to successfully build an agricultural product value chain and promote the region's strengths, in 2021, Dong Din General Agricultural Cooperative (Phu Hoa district) brought Dong Din biological floor cleaner to participate in the OCOP Program and was assessed and recognized with 3 stars by the Provincial OCOP Council. In April 2022, the Cooperative continued to register and achieved 8 more 3-4 star OCOP products including: pineapple, pineapple cake, pineapple vinegar, pineapple wine, etc.

 

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Chuong, Director of this Cooperative, shared: The OCOP program has helped the Cooperative access specialized processing procedures, make serious investments, and currently the Cooperative's OCOP products are well received by the market, and the value of agricultural products has also increased. However, the unit does not stop there. The Cooperative continues to invest in upgrading products that have met OCOP standards so that the province's OCOP products are equal to and surpass those of other provinces, especially to meet the increasing demands of customers. Currently, the Cooperative is perfecting new agricultural products to enrich the OCOP products under the Cooperative's brand.

 

According to Mr. Mai Ne, Permanent Vice Chairman of Tay Hoa District People's Committee, the production of OCOP products has changed the production mindset of people and cooperatives, gradually shifting from small-scale, spontaneous production to large-scale. "Currently, enterprises, cooperatives, and OCOP product production facilities in the district have been implementing processes such as VietGAP, GlobalGAP, ISO, HACCP... to produce products. The production processes ensure product safety, ensure the health of producers and consumers, protect the environment and trace the origin," said Mr. Mai Ne.

 

Promoting rural economy

 

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, right from the beginning of implementing the OCOP Program, Phu Yen identified this as an important solution to serve the restructuring of the agricultural sector, promote the rural economy, and contribute to building new rural areas.

 

Therefore, all levels and sectors have actively supported, advised and guided localities and entities to select typical products, produce according to standards, and register to participate in the program.

 

In 2024, the OCOP product evaluation and classification council at all levels in the province organized 13 evaluation and classification sessions for 122 3-star OCOP certified products of 44 production entities; provided support for 28,000 OCOP stamps for 28 products and provided funding according to Resolution 03 of the Provincial People's Council for 127 3-star OCOP certified products with a total cost of nearly 1.3 billion VND. At the same time, it created conditions for bringing OCOP products into modern distribution channels, retail systems and modern distribution points, connecting product consumption, etc.

 

According to Mr. Ho Van Nhan, Deputy Chief of the Provincial New Rural Area Coordination Office, the OCOP Program has received attention and direction from localities, the participation of the entire political system from the province to the grassroots level, especially the role of provincial departments, branches, and organizations in evaluating and classifying OCOP products.

 

Through this, localities have seen the potential and strengths to have appropriate policies and solutions to develop OCOP products, especially to preserve and develop local traditional industries. Therefore, in the coming time, districts, towns and cities need to continue to pay attention, promote and support subjects in perfecting products to participate in the program.

 

Ms. Dang Thi Thuy, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that in order for OCOP products to develop further, it is necessary to promote propaganda and training, focusing on skills in production organization, management, product innovation, quality management, food safety, packaging design skills, intellectual property, traceability according to the value chain, marketing and market development.

After 5 years of implementation, the OCOP Program has launched 377 quality, reputable OCOP products, winning over consumers.

“The work of reviewing and supporting the development of new product ideas with potential and strengths of the locality; supporting subjects to continue to perfect recognized OCOP products to maintain and upgrade product rankings needs to be strengthened. At the same time, it is necessary to promote the application of IT, promote digital transformation, promote trade of OCOP products to find and expand product consumption markets, so that the One Commune One Product Program continues to become a lever to promote sustainable development of the rural economy in Phu Yen”, Ms. Thuy emphasized.

 

NGOC HAN

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/82/324505/don-bay-thuc-day-kinh-te-nong-thon-tu-chuong-trinh-ocop.html