Increase resources and enhance the competitiveness of local OCOP products.

Recognizing the OCOP program as a "lever" to help cooperatives and production facilities in Can Tho City expand their markets and increase the value of agricultural products, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City has strengthened resources to support entities in investing in infrastructure, combining trade promotion and building OCOP product sales points... This helps entities enhance their competitiveness, enabling local OCOP products to conquer the domestic market and aim for export.

Processing of snakehead fish at Ky Nhu Cooperative, Thanh Hoa commune.

Along with supporting infrastructure development and guiding the improvement of production processes to ensure quality standards, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City actively coordinates with relevant departments and agencies of the city to organize for cooperatives and establishments with OCOP products to participate in many trade fairs and conferences inside and outside the city. This helps OCOP producers access partners, understand consumer preferences, and gradually adjust product designs and improve product quality to meet market demands. Furthermore, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of the city has also coordinated the establishment of 34 exhibition points for OCOP products, creating a stable channel for promoting and selling local specialty goods.

As one of the units specializing in selling specialty products and OCOP products at Cai Rang floating market, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Truc, Director of Nha Be Specialty Noodle Trading and Service Company Limited, said that the unit is distributing more than 100 OCOP specialty products, including 15 characteristic products of Can Tho City. Products such as Kim Nhien soursop tea, various types of dried fish from the Mekong Delta, and freshwater anchovy fish sauce are favored by many tourists, especially those from the North and Central regions, because each product has a unique flavor that cannot be found elsewhere. Most importantly, these products have OCOP certification, ensuring quality standards, so they are trusted by customers, especially many tourists from the US, Australia, South Korea, China, etc., who appreciate them and buy large quantities to take back to their countries.

With support from city authorities, many cooperatives in Can Tho City are gradually expanding into deep processing, applying quality standards to production to improve product quality, meet the needs of the domestic market, and aim for export. A prime example is Ky Nhu Cooperative in Thanh Hoa commune, which not only actively participates in the OCOP program but also focuses on raising snakehead fish according to VietGAP standards; combining this with the application of HACCP and ISO 22000 standards in processing, aiming to provide clean food for consumers and contribute to enhancing the value of local specialties.

Ms. Nguyen Kim Thuy, Director of Ky Nhu Cooperative, said that with the support from the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City, the cooperative has accessed many investment resources, from support for breeding stock and farming techniques to investment in infrastructure and participation in market promotion fairs… Thanks to this, the cooperative has been able to invest in production, improve product quality, achieve OCOP certification from 4-5 stars, and win the Cooperative Star Award in 2025. From there, the cooperative has gradually become a reliable address chosen by many partners and customers in the North, Central, Ho Chi Minh City, and many localities in the Mekong Delta region to sign consumption contracts, ensuring stable output for members and households raising snakehead fish with linkage contracts with the cooperative.

According to Ms. Thuy, the cooperative currently has 14 processed and semi-processed products made from snakehead fish, including 10 products that have achieved OCOP 4-star status and 1 product that has achieved OCOP 5-star status. On average, the cooperative supplies 40 tons of various snakehead fish products monthly to supermarket chains and shopping centers such as MM Mega Market, Co.opmart, Bach Hoa Xanh, and exports to the US and South Korea, generating tens of billions of VND in revenue annually. This helps create stable jobs for cooperative workers, with incomes ranging from 7-9 million VND per month.

Thanks to participating in trade promotion programs along with the OCOP program and achieving OCOP 3-star product certification in 2023, Hai Hien rice paper facility in Truong Thanh commune has received positive feedback from the market. Ms. Cao Thi My Dung, owner of Hai Hien rice paper facility, said that the facility currently has four types of products: grilled rice paper, sweet rice paper, rolled rice paper, and Kieu Dung milk-flavored rice paper. Among them, the sweet milk-flavored rice paper, which has achieved OCOP 3-star certification, is chosen by many customers and highly appreciated for its quality at various trade fairs. As a result, the facility's production is increasing. On average, the facility produces and supplies 60,000-90,000 products to the market each month; during the Lunar New Year 2026, production is expected to increase by 1.5 times, creating stable jobs for local workers.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Nhon, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Can Tho City, said that the Department is implementing a project to support OCOP (One Commune One Product) sales points, connecting them with tourism routes to bring tourists to visit and shop; at the same time, strengthening quality management from production to processing, promoting trade, and linking to build value chains for OCOP products... Through this, it helps OCOP businesses expand their consumption markets, enhance the value of OCOP products in the market, and contribute more effectively to the rural economy of Can Tho City.

Text and photos: MY HOA

Source: https://baocantho.com.vn/gia-tang-nguon-luc-nang-suc-canh-tranh-cho-san-pham-ocop-dia-phuong-a198201.html