Bringing traditional craft products to a wider market.

Changing production methods, promoting the application of technological advancements, strengthening trade promotion, especially e-commerce; seeking consumer markets, promoting and introducing products... are essential directions for the development of craft villages in the current trend. Therefore, many craft villages in the province have boldly changed their mindset and methods, bringing their products to larger markets, increasing revenue, and establishing their brands.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development regularly supports craft villages and cooperatives, giving them opportunities to promote, introduce, and find markets for their products at trade fairs and exhibitions related to craft villages.

Boldly embrace innovation.

This Tet holiday, members of the Da Hen Tea Production and Processing Cooperative in Da Hen tea village, Dong Luong commune, Cam Khe district, are delighted because the cooperative's and village's products are selling quite well. After years of difficulties in product sales due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession, this year the production and consumption situation has improved again.

Handing us cups of emerald-green tea with a fragrant aroma, Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh - Director of the Cooperative and Head of the Craft Village - shared: “Tea cultivation has existed in Dong Luong, Cam Khe for nearly a hundred years. However, the production method was mainly self-sufficient, without applying advanced techniques for intensive cultivation, resulting in low productivity, poor quality, and unstable prices. Realizing that if we continued with the old production and consumption methods, the craft village would eventually decline, our leadership decided to change and build a cooperative within the craft village with different production standards, which we will then replicate throughout the entire village. Currently, we have invested in building a specialized tea cultivation area with new, high-yield, high-quality tea varieties, strictly adhering to VietGAP standards. At the same time, we have invested in modern machinery for processing; designed unique packaging and designs to easily reach customers; and intensified product promotion and introduction on e-commerce platforms and livestream sales… With this recognition…” Having received the 4-star OCOP product certification, the premium green tea product "Da Hen" has won over consumers and is available in many major domestic markets.

Establishing standardized raw material areas to meet the ever-increasing demands of consumers has helped green tea products from Da Hen Tea Village, Dong Luong commune, expand their market to many provinces and cities nationwide.

Currently, the Da Hen tea-making village has over 80 participating households with a total tea-growing area of ​​over 100 hectares. Among them, the Da Hen Tea Production and Processing Cooperative has 12 members, cultivating 24 hectares of tea according to VietGAP and HACCP standards. Thanks to strict adherence to technical procedures, the cooperative's tea yield reaches over 300 quintals/hectare/year. In addition to green tea, the cooperative and the village also supply black tea to processing companies for export to international markets.

Each year, the cooperative supplies the market with over 1.5 tons of high-quality green tea and approximately 400 tons of black tea for export. Including the village's own production, the amount of black tea exported reaches over 1,000 tons per year, generating revenue of over 8 billion VND annually. The average income of households in the village is approximately 60 million VND per household per year, while cooperative members earn around 85 million VND per household per year.

Similar to the Da Hen tea-making village, many craft villages in the province have boldly changed their production methods; diversified their products; proactively promoted and introduced their products, and achieved positive results, such as: Hung Lo rice noodle making village in Hung Lo commune, Viet Tri city; Thach De noodle, vermicelli, and cake processing village in Hung Viet commune, Cam Khe district; Do Xuyen rattan and bamboo weaving village in Do Xuyen commune, Thanh Ba district...

Introducing traditional craft products and linking them with tourism is one of the effective solutions for expanding the market for traditional craft villages.

To help traditional craft products reach a wider market.

To date, the province has 75 recognized craft villages and villages with traditional crafts. According to Mr. Vu Quoc Tuan, Head of the Rural Development Sub-Department, in order to survive, develop, and expand their product markets, craft villages not only need to produce high-quality, unique products and enhance the value chain, but also need to invest in improving designs to meet consumer tastes. Craft villages also need to strive to find outlets for their products through e-commerce. Bringing handicrafts onto e-commerce platforms brings many practical benefits such as increased revenue, reduced costs, brand promotion, and access to more customers, helping craft village products reach the global market.

Many traditional craft products from Phu Tho province were showcased at the 20th Traditional Craft Fair in 2024, held in Hanoi.

Today, access to customers is much easier than it was more than a decade ago. E-commerce makes it easier for businesses and producers to promote, introduce, and sell their products not only domestically but also internationally. The key is to identify the target customer base for each product, and then choose the appropriate communication methods and focus on specific channels. This is an advantage for traditional craft villages that invest in and apply information technology and digital transformation to their business operations.

The OCOP program, which has been developing strongly in recent years, is an opportunity for craft villages to change and orient their production according to market demands, especially to diversify products and build brands. When craft village products are awarded OCOP stars, participating in trade fairs and exhibitions is one of the most effective ways for craft villages to promote and introduce their products, find and expand their markets.

Phan Cuong

Source: https://baophutho.vn/dua-san-pham-lang-nghe-vuon-xa-227055.htm