Elevating the status of local specialties.

- In 2025, An Giang will continue to affirm its determination to promote rural economic development through the strong implementation of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program. This is a key program that contributes to increasing the value of local products and creating momentum for sustainable development for the community.

Community engagement, economic development

The OCOP program focuses on developing distinctive products with advantages specific to each locality. Implementing the program helps create high-quality, competitive goods and services, contributing to increased income for rural residents. Simultaneously, it promotes the shift in the rural economic structure towards the development of market-oriented commodity production.

On the other hand, the implementation of the OCOP Program helps develop rural tourism by linking the development of OCOP products with rural tourism, creating unique and attractive tourism products for visitors. It promotes the development of community-based tourism and ecotourism services. In particular, it contributes to fulfilling the criteria for building new rural areas, especially those related to the economy and production organization. It enhances community capacity and promotes the leading role of people in socio-economic development.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, the province's OCOP program has received close attention and guidance from all levels and sectors, along with the active participation of the entire political system from the provincial to the grassroots level. In particular, the role of provincial departments, agencies, and organizations has been clearly demonstrated in the evaluation and classification of OCOP products. In 2024, the OCOP product evaluation and classification councils at all levels in the province organized 18 evaluation and classification sessions. As a result, 66 products were recognized as "OCOP products" with 3 stars or higher, owned by 49 economic entities.

Provincial leaders visit the An Giang OCOP product display booth.

By February 2025, the entire province had 182 OCOP products evaluated and recognized with 3 stars or more, owned by 125 economic entities. Of these, 5 products achieved 5 stars, 14 products achieved 4 stars, and 163 products achieved 3 stars. The structure of product sectors participating in the OCOP Program in An Giang includes: Food products accounting for the highest percentage at 82.78%, beverages at 13.25%, handicrafts at 3.31%, and community tourism and ecotourism services/tourism destinations at 0.67%. Notably, at the OCOP Product Forum in the Mekong Delta, An Giang province had two products from two different entities that won the "Outstanding OCOP Product at the 2024 Mekong Delta OCOP Product Connection Forum" award: Steamed Linh fish sauce, from An Giang Fruit and Vegetable Food Joint Stock Company, and powdered palm sugar syrup, from Palmania Joint Stock Company. These results demonstrate the efforts and effectiveness of the OCOP program implementation in An Giang, and affirm the diverse development potential of local products.

Local products, national quality.

To strongly promote the OCOP program and enhance the value of local products, An Giang province aims to have an additional 50-60 products evaluated and classified as "OCOP products" with 3 stars or higher by the end of 2025. In particular, An Giang focuses on developing products in the fields of medicinal herbs, ornamental plants, community tourism services, ecotourism, and tourist destinations, in order to maximize the potential and advantages of the locality. The province aims to have at least 5 products proposed for evaluation and classification as "OCOP products" with 4 stars or higher, affirming the superior quality and value of An Giang's OCOP products.

To ensure the sustainable and effective development of the OCOP Program, the province focuses on reviewing, promoting, and encouraging economic entities whose OCOP products expire in 2025 to participate in the reassessment and reclassification process according to regulations. Priority is given to developing OCOP products in conjunction with brand building and the development of rural tourism services, aiming to create higher added value for the products. The province aims to support 100% of OCOP entities in participating in modern sales channels such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and e-commerce platforms. In addition to traditional trade promotion methods, the province continues to create connections, promote, and facilitate trade, supporting economic entities in accessing sales channels, e-commerce platforms, websites, online sales channels, and interactive sales (livestreaming) to expand the market for OCOP products. Striving to develop sales points and introduce OCOP products in conjunction with local tourism development, creating attractive destinations for tourists...

“The effective implementation of the OCOP Program aims to improve the quality of local products in the province, contributing to restructuring the agricultural sector in conjunction with small-scale industries, trades, and rural tourism to develop the economy, increase people's income; preserve cultural values, protect the rural environment and landscape, and contribute to digital transformation, thereby completing some indicators and criteria in building new rural areas in a sustainable manner. It promotes and enhances characteristic, traditional products and services with advantages that meet standards, are competitive, and meet the requirements of the market and consumers. Continuously improving the quality and effectiveness of OCOP products is geared towards stable and sustainable development, with the goal of developing OCOP products in conjunction with promoting local resources, based on quality, reputation, competitiveness, and reaching further for the An Giang OCOP Program in 2025,” said Ngo Cong Thuc, Vice Chairman of the An Giang Provincial People's Committee.

THU THAO

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/an-giang-24-gio/thoi-su/nang-tam-dac-san-a418415.html