Ha Long strives to "star" OCOP products

Ha Long strives to

The famous royal sticky rice variety is grown and developed into the OCOP product Gia Mieu Ngoai Trang sticky rice.

The commune prioritizes the development of large-scale concentrated agricultural production areas according to key product groups and local specialty products to maximize available advantages and potentials; gradually manage and build brands, enhance the value and competitiveness of agricultural products, thereby moving towards building more and more OCOP products.

Since 2020, some households have pioneered the introduction of pear guava varieties for experimental planting on infertile lands. Pear guava trees grow well, have few pests and diseases, and bear fruit early after only 8 months of planting.

In response to the need to develop commodity-oriented production, in September 2021, the Quy Huong Pear Guava Cooperative was established, initially with only 5 members. With the support of the local government and the commune's farmers' association, by April 2022, the Quy Huong Ha Long Service - Trade Cooperative was officially established with 265 participating households, with a total cultivated area of nearly 190 hectares.

Thanks to this close connection, people are instructed on cultivation techniques, granted growing area codes, applied scientific advances and linked to stable consumption. By 2021, Quy Huong pear guava products achieved VietGAP certification; in 2023, the Provincial People's Committee recognized them as achieving 3-star OCOP. With 3-star OCOP certification, Quy Huong pear guava is gradually becoming a model for clean, safe agriculture and associated with local cultural and ecological identity.

Currently, the whole commune has about 2,000 households growing guava pear with an area of 170 hectares, an output of more than 10,000 tons/year, and a harvest value of about 70 billion VND. Guava pear is becoming the main crop of Ha Long commune, creating jobs for hundreds of workers, many families have become rich from growing guava.

Director of Quy Huong Ha Long Service and Trading Cooperative Nguyen Van Phong said: “The commune government also actively accompanies the people to build standard raw material areas, issue growing area codes, QR codes to trace the origin and standardize packaging and labels. This not only helps Ha Long pear guava products increase their competitiveness but also gradually builds a modern, high-tech, environmentally friendly agriculture.”

The year 2009 marked the time when the golden sticky rice variety, a famous royal product, was replanted in Ha Long fields with an area of 2.8 hectares. After 16 years of restoration, the total area of golden sticky rice cultivation in Ha Long has increased by about 200 hectares with a total output of about 800 tons/year. Growing golden sticky rice is 2.5 times more economically efficient than conventional rice varieties. In 2020, with great efforts, Gia Mieu Ngoai Trang golden sticky rice of Ha Long Agricultural Service Cooperative was ranked as a 3-star OCOP product. Currently, all the golden sticky rice area grown in Ha Long after harvest is purchased by two large enterprises, Sao Khue Trading Joint Stock Company and Luu Suong Trading Company Limited, right at the field at a stable price.

Director of Ha Long Commune Service Cooperative Le Minh Cong said: “In addition to traditional distribution channels (markets, supermarkets), Gia Mieu Ngoai Trang yellow sticky rice is regularly brought by businesses to participate in trade promotion programs both inside and outside the province. With outstanding quality, the product has conquered and satisfied the majority of users. In particular, when the product is ranked 3-star OCOP, it further enhances and affirms the quality of a traditional local product. Currently, the harvested rice output has not yet met the purchasing needs of businesses.”

The Ha Long Commune Government has actively accompanied the people in building standard raw material areas, issuing growing area codes, QR codes for traceability and standardizing packaging and labels. This not only helps OCOP products increase their competitiveness but also gradually builds a modern, high-tech, environmentally friendly agriculture. The whole commune currently has 4 products that meet OCOP standards: Gia Mieu Ngoai Trang yellow sticky rice (3-star OCOP), Tien Son Ha Linh areca nut sticky rice (4-star OCOP), Tien Son No. 3 rice (3-star OCOP), Quy Huong pear guava (3-star OCOP).

Ms. Phung Thi Luyen, an expert from the Economic Department of Ha Long Commune, said: “The products recognized and classified as OCOP products have increased their competitiveness, met market demand, helped change production practices, aroused people's will to get rich, directed people to the market economy, promoted production development in rural areas, and contributed to the construction of new rural areas.”

In the context of implementing a two-level local government, the implementation of the OCOP Program requires closer and more proactive participation from the commune level, where the program originated. The most typical is the need to take responsibility for a number of important criteria in evaluating OCOP products such as: product origin, use of local labor, product ideas, cultural identity of products... In the coming time, Ha Long commune will continue to develop products that meet OCOP standards in conjunction with restructuring the agricultural sector and shifting the rural economic structure. At the same time, it will strengthen support for production and business households with OCOP products in trade promotion activities, brand promotion, gradually expanding the consumption market and increasing product value. By 2030, the commune is expected to have 90 hectares of fruit tree production meeting OCOP standards and successfully build brands for 2-3 new products.

Article and photos: Anh Tuan

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ha-long-no-luc-gan-sao-nbsp-san-pham-ocop-269956.htm