AnEco Cooperative, Chi Linh, building OCOP products

AnEco's processed foods are made from herbal pork, ensuring food hygiene and safety standards.

Although only established for 1 year, AnEco Livestock and Clean Food Processing Cooperative in Cau Dong residential area, Cong Hoa ward (Chi Linh) has not only successfully built a closed livestock chain to increase value but also has 3 3-star OCOP products.

AnEco Livestock and Clean Food Processing Cooperative was established in March 2023 with 9 members, all of whom are small-scale livestock farmers in Cau Dong residential area. The pig farms of AnEco Cooperative members are located deep in the mountainous areas of Cong Hoa ward with a total herd of about 1,200 pigs and more than 200 sows.

Before establishing the cooperative, members were all small-scale livestock farmers, the products were consumed slowly, while the price of animal feed increased, so the economic efficiency was low. After studying many livestock models in and outside the province, some livestock farmers decided to join together to find a common direction. To reduce livestock costs, the cooperative bought raw materials such as corn, soybeans, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, garlic, etc. to produce animal feed. Cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, etc. are valuable medicinal resources in nature. When mixed into animal feed, they help increase the resistance and immune system of the pig herd. From here, the cooperative switched to raising pigs in the direction of herbs. The cost of animal feed decreased, but the time to raise pigs was extended to 7-8 months, 1-2 months longer than industrial farming. The quality of the products produced but the selling price was not higher than that of industrial farming, always making the cooperative members worried.

All processing procedures are inspected and monitored to ensure food hygiene and safety (photo provided by the facility)

Having experience in the market, Mr. Bui Van Linh, Director of AnEco Clean Food Processing and Livestock Cooperative, has traveled to many places to learn about production models and realized that consumers are increasingly interested in clean food sources. The process of "from production to table" will be suitable for market trends. Thinking is doing, the cooperative has built a slaughterhouse that ensures technical standards on food safety and hygiene. Currently, the cooperative sells 2-3 quintals of pork and many other products to the market every day. "The main products of the cooperative such as clean meat and ham, sausage, nem chua, sausage, etc. are all processed from pork raised with herbs. After completing the closed value chain, economic profits increased by about 8% compared to before," said Mr. Linh.

With good quality products, AnEco has 3 products including pork, sausage and nem chua that have achieved 3-star OCOP certification. These products are processed in a completely closed process, vacuum-packed, attached with QR codes to trace their origin and transported to many provinces and cities such as Hanoi , Hai Phong, Quang Ninh... for consumption. In addition to selling directly at stores, the cooperative also has a fanpage to sell online. After only 1 year on the market, AnEco cooperative products have won the trust of consumers and have a foothold in the market.

Ms. Tran Thi Man, a regular customer in Hanoi, shared: “Once at a trade fair, I bought ham, sausage and pork from AnEco to process. I found that pork raised with herbs was not only delicious but also softer and sweeter than other meat products. Although the product price was about 15,000 VND/kg higher than the market price, the quality was completely different. Since then, I have regularly ordered pork and pork products from the cooperative to freeze and gradually process.”

Pork is certified with 3-star OCOP and has a QR code to trace the product's origin.

The fresh climate and special care have helped AnEco build its own clean meat brand. AnEco is also one of the few livestock cooperatives that have completed a closed process from breeding, food sources to product consumption. Although the scale of livestock farming is not large, the cooperative has changed from agricultural production thinking to agricultural economics, helping to increase product value. Currently, the cooperative is continuing to develop products such as sausages, salted pork legs, etc. to become OCOP products this year and the following years.

TRAN HIEN

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/hop-tac-xa-aneco-chi-linh-chiem-long-tin-cua-nguoi-tieu-dung-bang-san-pham-ocop-391242.html