Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative: Confidently participating in national OCOP product evaluation

(GLO)- After much effort, Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative (Dak Doa district) has successfully developed 5 coffee and pepper products that meet high quality standards. Currently, these products are completing their dossiers to request the Central Government to evaluate and recognize them as national OCOP (5-star OCOP).

Superior quality

According to Mr. Nguyen Tan Cong - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative: The cooperative was established in 2017 with 100 members. With the desire to enhance the value of local agricultural products, the cooperative has focused on producing coffee and pepper in an organic direction and invested in product processing machinery.

By the end of 2024, the Cooperative will have 5 products including Dak Yang coffee, Fine Robusta coffee, Le Chi organic red pepper, Le Chi organic black pepper, and Le Chi organic white pepper participating in the provincial OCOP assessment and all achieved over 90 points, meeting the criteria for proposing national OCOP recognition. The Cooperative is currently coordinating with the authorities to complete the dossier to request the Central Government to evaluate and recognize national OCOP products.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Cong - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative inspects the organic pepper garden. Photo: LN

Talking about the cooperative's products, Mr. Cong said: Dak Yang coffee is a specialty Robusta variety, processed using the honey method to keep the natural sugar layer on the beans.

After the preliminary processing, natural fermentation and drying on a sieve for 10-15 days, the coffee has a characteristic flavor with a sweet aftertaste, moderate bitterness and the smell of ripe fruit.

The product has been certified organic by the US (USDA) and Europe (EU), granted geographical indications, and is present at many international fairs. Dak Yang coffee has been recognized as a typical national rural industrial product. Fine Robusta coffee is a product that focuses on sensory appeal, and the production and processing process strictly follows the standards of the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) for quality at each stage.

The orchard is cared for organically to create environmentally friendly products. The harvesting process carefully selects only ripe fruits and then cleans them with water to remove impurities and poor quality fruits; the drying process is strictly controlled, applying a fermentation process with native microorganisms (absolute flavor characteristics); the roasting and grinding process is even more strictly controlled to optimize the flavor.

Coffee is roasted using hot air technology to preserve the flavor structure, targeting high-end customers at home and abroad.

“To produce international-standard specialty coffee, the entire process from coffee tree care to harvesting, processing, roasting, and preservation must meet SCA standards. Many international partners have come to directly visit the cooperative’s processing process. This is a good opportunity for Gia Lai products to reach further,” Mr. Cong shared.

Along with coffee, the organic pepper products under the Le Chi brand also have outstanding quality. According to the representative of the cooperative, this is a pepper brand that was famous since 1960 in Nam Yang commune, now restored and developed in an organic direction. Le Chi organic red pepper is processed from ripe red fruits, has a strong aroma and spicy taste. Organic black pepper is naturally dried, retaining all the essential oils, while organic white pepper is a premium product with the outer shell peeled, suitable for dishes that require a mild spicy taste. All 3 products are USDA and EU certified.

“We do not only produce products for sale but also want to restore the traditional local pepper brand, associated with regional stories and indigenous culture. The motto of the cooperative is to develop together sustainably to create happiness for farmers, crops and customers,” Mr. Cong informed.

Bringing OCOP products far and wide

To date, the province has 454 OCOP products, including 1 5-star product (Phuong Di honey), 67 4-star products and 386 3-star products. Currently, the province has 5 products (all belonging to Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative) being proposed for national OCOP recognition.

These products are invested in thoroughly from production to processing, packaging, and electronic traceability. The application of international organic standards has helped the products gain trust from domestic and foreign consumers. This is not only the result of a serious and quality production process but also a testament to the effectiveness of the OCOP Program in rural economic development.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Deputy Director of Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative, said: “We always consider product quality as our top priority. Investing in raw material areas, upgrading closed organic production processes, training farmers and controlling input materials are decisive factors.

Each OCOP product that the Cooperative builds not only aims for 5-star certification but also contributes to creating a sustainable value chain for farmers. We believe that the Cooperative's products bear the Gia Lai mark and are competitive enough in the international market."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga - Deputy Director of Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative introduces some OCOP products of the Cooperative (photo provided by the supplier).

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Tran Van Van - Deputy Chief of the Office of the National Target Program on New Rural Development in the province - informed: "To be recognized as a national OCOP, the product must have local characteristics, achieve international quality management certification, meet food safety conditions, have complete legal documents and a production process that ensures environmental criteria. The products of Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative currently fully meet these criteria."

According to Mr. Van, the advantages of the above products are that they are produced in cooperatives (a model that is prioritized for development support) with local materials and labor, the products are quality tested, have beautiful packaging, and have participated in domestic and international trade promotion activities. The OCOP program has many support policies such as building and registering trademarks, packaging design, quality testing, and trade promotion.

However, to develop OCOP products for export, there needs to be strong support policies for raw material infrastructure such as roads, electricity production, warehouses, logistics, etc. suitable for the characteristics of small enterprises and cooperatives.

Gia Lai is continuing to improve this policy to help OCOP products develop sustainably. At the same time, support bringing products to promote trade abroad to expand the consumption market.

“In the coming time, the province will continue to support OCOP entities to complete standards, improve production capacity and promote trade, creating favorable conditions for Gia Lai's OCOP products to reach further, contributing to promoting sustainable agricultural development and increasing value,” Mr. Van added.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/hop-tac-xa-nong-nghiep-va-dich-vu-nam-yang-tu-tin-tham-gia-danh-gia-san-pham-ocop-cap-quoc-gia-post322341.html