According to regulations, OCOP certificates with 3-5 stars are valid for 36 months. After this period, products must undergo re-evaluation. From 2024, the OCOP product evaluation criteria have been adjusted to be stricter, especially for 4-star products. New "hard" criteria have been added, such as: environment, intellectual property, quality certification, etc., requiring OCOP entities to invest in depth and have a systematic and long-term development strategy.
One of the units that has met the new requirements well is the Ham Minh 30 Dragon Fruit Production Service Cooperative (Ham Minh commune, Ham Thuan Nam district). With 42 members, the cooperative is cultivating over 100 hectares of dragon fruit according to VietGAP and GlobalGAP standards. The unit proactively registers trademarks, planting area codes, geographical indications, and designs packaging and expands export markets. The cooperative's white and red flesh dragon fruit products are already present in Hong Kong, Dubai, India, Taiwan, and are preparing to enter the South Korean market. These two products were recognized as OCOP 4-star in 2020 and have recently been re-certified according to the new criteria. Ms. Le Phuong Chi – Director of the Ham Minh Dragon Fruit Production Service Cooperative said: Products must go through district-level review before being submitted to the Provincial OCOP Council for evaluation and classification. The process is very strict and rigorous, from district-level assessment to provincial-level classification.
The Provincial OCOP Council evaluates and categorizes OCOP products for 2025.
By June 5, 2025, the province will have 194 OCOP products, including 7 products achieving 4 stars and 187 products achieving 3 stars. In 2024, the provincial OCOP Council received 10 applications, and after evaluation, submitted them to the Provincial People's Committee for recognition of 7 4-star OCOP products. A new feature this year is the application of digital software to the evaluation process. Council members can easily access, compare evidence, and score according to each criterion stipulated in Decision 148 of the Prime Minister . The system helps eliminate subjective factors, ensuring fairness, objectivity, and enhancing transparency throughout the entire process.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Phuoc, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, stated: The classification of OCOP products is currently divided into three levels: district, provincial, and central. Products wishing to be recognized at the provincial level must pass a rigorous evaluation at the district level. Therefore, from 2022 to the present, the province has only had a few additional products achieving 4-star status, despite the relatively large number of OCOP products in the area. In 2025, the Provincial OCOP Council is currently continuing to evaluate an additional 21 4-star products proposed by local authorities.
In the coming period, Binh Thuan will continue to focus on developing OCOP products in depth, upgrading 4-star products and aiming for 5-star products with potential. Authorities at all levels will support OCOP producers in improving quality, perfecting brand identity, participating in evaluations, and promoting trade, in order to bring OCOP products closer to consumers and become strong brands in the market.
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