Enhancing local agricultural products

On the green hillsides, each custard apple and persimmon is carefully harvested, packaged, and neatly arranged in boxes with brand logos, ready to be shipped to provinces and cities across the country, as are many other agricultural products. Few people know that just a few years ago, the prices of these products were unstable and the consumption market was narrow. This change is a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program that the province is actively implementing.

OCOP products and specialty agricultural products are displayed at the 2024 Ethnic Culture and Sports Festival of Chi Lang Commune, Chi Lang District

In recent years, with the initiative of the people, relevant levels and sectors in the province have synchronously deployed many solutions to build OCOP products.

From local products to OCOP stars

The OCOP program has been implemented in the province since 2019 and has quickly become an important "push" in sustainable agricultural development and value addition. To date, the province has 129 products with valid OCOP certification (3 4-star products and 126 3-star products), which are typical products with strong local characteristics.

From fresh products such as Bao Lam seedless persimmons, Vanh Khuyen persimmons, Chi Lang custard apples, Chinese mustard greens, Chinese mustard greens... to elaborately processed products such as Hong Nhung turmeric starch, Lua Vy fish mint tea, Huu Le leaf yeast wine, Hong Xiem roast duck... all have obvious changes. These products are not only invested in packaging and design but also strictly controlled in terms of quality, ensuring food hygiene and safety standards and clearly labeled with traceability stamps.

Customers visit and shop at the province's OCOP product display booth at the Vietnam - China International Trade and Tourism Fair (December 2024)

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Director of Hoang Lien MC Company Limited, Yen Trach Commune, Cao Loc District, said: Previously, the company's macadamia products were mainly consumed in the province and some neighboring localities. In 2021, when participating in the OCOP program, Hoang Lien macadamia products were recognized as 3-star OCOP products and had clear packaging, stamps, and labels, which were favored by consumers. Currently, the products are consumed in all provinces and cities across the country, bringing in revenue of 4 - 6 billion VND/year.

To achieve that result is thanks to the attention and drastic direction of local authorities and Party committees. Specifically, implementing the regulations and orientations of the Central Government, the Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 1533/QD-UBND dated August 13, 2019 on approving the Project "OCOP Program of Lang Son province for the period 2019 - 2020, orientation to 2030 with the goal of standardizing 135 to 140 products by 2030... To effectively implement the program, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan 167/KH-UBND dated October 25, 2019 on implementing the Project OCOP Program of Lang Son province for the period 2019 - 2020; Plan No. 129/KH-UBND dated June 5, 2021 on implementing the Project OCOP Program for the period 2021 - 2025.

Based on the plan of the Provincial People's Committee, relevant departments and branches have proactively implemented it. Mr. Hoang Van Chieu, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, said: In order to effectively implement the OCOP program, every year, the department issues a plan to implement the OCOP program project and documents to strengthen the implementation of the OCOP program, receive dossiers to evaluate and classify OCOP products. In particular, assign specific tasks to each department, office, and unit under the department; at the same time, request departments, offices, branches, and People's Committees of districts to coordinate in implementing the program.

Along with that, the People's Committees of districts and cities have also proactively issued annual implementation plans; plans to implement the OCOP program for the period 2021 - 2025, focusing on supporting the development of key products and strengths in the locality such as: custard apple, persimmon, roast duck, 6-fingered chicken, black jelly...

In addition, to implement the program, all levels and sectors have actively coordinated with political and social organizations to regularly promote propaganda activities on the necessity, implementation principles, and support policies of the State... Specifically, from 2019 to present, all levels and sectors have organized and integrated over 1,266 propaganda conferences for over 55,600 people; distributed over 55,600 sets of documents; coordinated propaganda of over 1,200 topics, news, and articles on building OCOP products on mass media...

Through propaganda work, cadres, party members and people of all walks of life have raised awareness of the significance and benefits of participating in the OCOP program, arousing the positivity, proactiveness and creativity of the people, gradually changing production practices, creating new directions for old products with advantages in rural areas, thereby contributing to restructuring the agricultural and rural economy.

To date, the province has 129 OCOP certified products with valid terms (3 4-star products and 126 3-star products), which are typical products with strong local characteristics. According to the assessment of OCOP subjects, the value of products after being certified with OCOP increases by an average of 20 - 30% compared to traditional products.

Thanks to that, from 2019 to now, the construction and development of OCOP products in the province has achieved positive results. OCOP products are currently changing in scale, quality, production process as well as packaging, brand identity system, thereby contributing significantly to increasing product value. According to the assessment of OCOP subjects, the value of products after being certified as OCOP increased by an average of 20 - 30% compared to traditional products.

Reaching out to the big market

Not only standardizing products, the OCOP program also opens up great opportunities for the province's agricultural products to reach out and affirm their position in the market. Clearly identifying this, the provincial authorities and specialized sectors have proactively implemented many trade promotion activities to bring OCOP products "out of the bamboo fences". From provincial fairs and conferences, connecting regional trade, to bringing products to supermarkets and clean agricultural product stores, all are of interest and regularly implemented by relevant units.

Specifically, from 2019 to present, all levels and sectors in the province have created conditions and supported more than 100 entities with over 100 types of OCOP products to participate in over 70 fairs, exhibitions, forums, and conferences connecting supply and demand inside and outside the province... Participating in these programs is an opportunity for OCOP products in the province to expand to the markets of provinces and cities in the country.

A typical example is Dong Bang Agricultural Production and Service Cooperative, Chi Lang town, Chi Lang district. Mr. Hua Quoc Cong, Director of the cooperative, said: In June 2021, the cooperative was established with 56 members joining together to exchange experiences in caring for custard apples according to VietGAP standards with a total area of ​​34.59 hectares. At the end of 2021, with the guidance of the district's professional agency, the cooperative registered Chi Lang custard apple products to participate in the OCOP program and achieved a 3-star OCOP product. In 2022, the cooperative continued to improve product packaging and quality to increase product value. As a result, Chi Lang custard apple products achieved a 4-star OCOP product. Since "having an OCOP star", the cooperative's custard apple products have been supported by the District People's Committee, displayed and promoted at fairs. Thanks to that, the product price increased (increased by 10,000 - 20,000 VND/kg compared to normal products), the consumption market expanded to provinces and cities across the country and was introduced to the supermarket system in Hanoi. In the past 3 years, the cooperative's custard apple output reached about 200 tons, with a value of 7 billion VND.

At the same time, in recent times, relevant sectors and units have deployed support for enterprises, cooperatives and production households to build points of introduction and sale of OCOP products. Currently, the whole province has 13 points and stores displaying, introducing and selling OCOP products, of which 3 points of sale are supported by relevant units in terms of design costs and equipment purchases and 10 points of sale are built by enterprises and cooperatives themselves. From these locations, not only do products consume but also play an important role in promoting products when tourists come to Lang Son for tourism. At the same time, the subjects also promote their products through social networking sites.

Thanks to that, the consumption market of OCOP products of the province has been expanded to all provinces and cities such as: Hanoi, Da Nang, Quang Ninh, Bac Giang provinces... even reaching international markets such as: Taiwan, China... The connection between products and markets not only increases the competitiveness of products, enhances the level of local agricultural products but also contributes to increasing the value of raw material areas, creating jobs on the spot for rural workers.

The OCOP program has been opening up a sustainable direction for the agricultural sector, not only helping the province's agricultural products "upgrade" in terms of design and quality, but also building a brand with strong regional identity, bringing the province's agricultural products far and wide. In the coming time, in order for the OCOP program to truly be a driving force in building advanced new rural areas, all levels and specialized sectors in the province will continue to support OCOP entities in terms of capital, science and technology, promotion and market connection. At the same time, each citizen, from grassroots cadres to enterprises, needs to play the role of "ambassador" for their hometown products. Because when agricultural products with local identity reach a large market, that is also the time when the image of the land and people of Lang Son is spread further and more sustainably.

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