WILD GRAPES INTO OCOP PRODUCTS
Wild grapes growing at the foot of Binh An mountain, Kien Luong district ( Kien Giang ) are skillfully processed by local people into delicious wine with many health benefits.
Ms. Tran Kim Lien - owner of Kim Lien business in Hon Chong hamlet, Binh An commune said: "With its very good effect in treating back pain and fatigue, people in the commune mainly soak and ferment wild grapes for family use. Realizing that this is a potential product that can be produced commercially and sold, I decided to go to Australia to learn about the wine production process. After many failed experiments and learning from experience, I have initially succeeded in bringing wild grape wine products to the market."
In 2022, the People's Committee of Kien Giang province recognized Kim Lien wild grape wine as meeting the provincial 3-star OCOP standard. In 2023, Kim Lien wild grape wine was recognized by Kien Luong district as a typical rural industrial product and was selected to participate in the vote for typical rural industrial products at the provincial level.
Ms. Tran Kim Lien - owner of Kim Lien business establishment introduces wild grape wine products.
Currently, wild grape wine is produced entirely by hand with many stages and a long period of soaking and aging. Grapes picked from the forest are selected, washed, drained, then placed in jars, pickled with rock sugar, covered tightly and fermented into grape syrup. The fermentation time is from 8-10 months, the longer the fermentation, the better the wine. The secreted wild grape syrup will be mixed with sticky rice wine in the right proportion to become a wild grape wine product with a strong flavor, sweet aftertaste, and easy to drink.
The People's Committee and the Economic Department of Kien Luong District (Kien Giang) have supported and facilitated the production facility to participate in many promotional and trade promotion programs at many events held inside and outside the province, thereby making the wild grape wine products known to many consumers and signing cooperation agreements for consumption. Many businesses choose and order large quantities as gifts for customers and partners.
To improve product quality and aim for mass production to meet market demand, the facility has invested in a more advanced factory system, machinery, and equipment to increase capacity. According to Ms. Tran Kim Lien, currently the main source of wild grapes is purchased from people who pick them in the forest and sell them, each kilo costs from 20,000 to 30,000 VND. During the harvest season, many people have extra income during their free time thanks to grape picking.
Ms. Tran Kim Lien shared: “In the future, to have a stable source of raw materials for production, I plan to cooperate with local people to propagate wild grapes, build raw material areas and guarantee product consumption. The current difficulty of the facility is limited capital. I hope that all levels and sectors will continue to pay attention and create conditions for the facility to enjoy preferential policies on loans to expand production and business scale, and invest in a 3-phase electrical system to serve production.”
MORE THAN 50 YEARS MAINTAINING THE TRADITIONAL PROFESSION
Making shrimp paste is considered a long-standing traditional profession of the people of Binh An commune, Kien Luong district (Kien Giang), with some households maintaining the profession for more than 50 years. The traditional profession of making shrimp paste helps many households have jobs and a more stable income.
The characteristic that makes the shrimp paste in this area different is the source of raw materials. The shrimp living on the rocky beaches are cleaner than those in other areas because there is no mud, sand or rocks. They are cleaned, salted, dried in the sun, and processed into shrimp paste. Most of the products are only consumed at traditional markets in the district.
Ms. Ngo Thi Thanh - owner of Ut Map shrimp paste business introduces products to customers.
Comrade Nguyen Huu Thanh - District Party Committee member, Head of Economic Department of Kien Luong district (Kien Giang) said that in reality, traditional craft village products are mainly produced by people on a small scale, without focusing on investment to improve quality, and paying little attention to building and promoting products.
To contribute to preserving traditional crafts as well as building a unique brand for local agricultural products, the District Economic Department encourages businesses to register to participate in the OCOP program. In 2022, the shrimp paste product of Ut Map business in Binh An commune was recognized by the province as a 3-star OCOP product.
Ms. Ngo Thi Thanh - owner of Ut Map shrimp paste business said that after being recognized as OCOP, the product is known and favored by many consumers. Each year, the business sells over 10 tons of finished shrimp paste to the market. The product is available in many distribution channels such as supermarkets, markets and is sold on e-commerce sites, specialty product display points in tourist areas.
“To gain a foothold in the market and affirm the brand, during the production process, I focus on hygiene and food safety from the input stage of selecting fresh and clean ingredients to the preliminary processing and processing of finished products, with quality being the top priority. Because the current consumer trend is that the product must be both delicious and safe for health,” said Ms. Ngo Thi Thanh.
Article and photos: THUY TRANG
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