OCOP establishments owned by women in Ha Tinh

Many businesses, cooperatives, and OCOP production facilities in Ha Tinh province owned by women have yielded significant results, contributing to the development of local specialties into branded products on the market.

The Chien Thang Seafood Purchasing and Processing Cooperative, headed by Ms. Dang Thi Luan, currently owns two OCOP (One Commune One Product) products.

Born in a land of seafood fishing, from a woman who made traditional fish sauce and only sold it to local people, Ms. Dang Thi Luan - Director of Chien Thang Seafood Purchasing and Processing Cooperative (Ky Ninh commune, Ky Anh town) - has now brought the specialty of Ky Anh coastal region to the international market with the Luan Nghiep fish sauce brand.

Ms. Dang Thi Luan, the female director, shared: “In 2016, I established the Chien Thang Seafood Purchasing and Processing Cooperative, but shortly after, a marine environmental incident occurred, forcing the cooperative to almost temporarily cease operations. Undeterred, in 2018, I was determined to revive the cooperative, and in 2019, we successfully built a fish sauce brand that achieved OCOP 3-star certification. By 2020, Luan Nghiep fish sauce was upgraded to OCOP 4-star. Currently, the cooperative has four OCOP 3-star and 4-star products: fish sauce, anchovy stir-fry with peanuts, shrimp paste, and ready-to-eat jellyfish. In addition to domestic consumption, the cooperative's fish sauce has recently been officially exported to the Russian Federation. Most honorably, the cooperative received a commendation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for its outstanding achievements in implementing the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program during the 2018-2020 period.”

Each year, Chien Thang Cooperative sells nearly 100,000 liters of fish sauce.

Hoa Hao Food Processing Facility (Pho Chau town, Huong Son district), owned by Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, specializes in producing shredded pork floss, dried beef, braised pork with shrimp paste, and dried chicken with lime leaves. Although 64 years old this year, Ms. Hoa still regularly participates in trade promotion fairs in various provinces and cities to seek opportunities to develop markets for her products.

Reportedly, Ms. Hoa started making shredded pork floss and dried beef for sale around 1993, when she was a secretary at Son Diem Primary School. After retiring in 2012, she began producing in large quantities for the market. In 2020, Ms. Hoa decided to invest in equipment, expand her facility, and increase the scale of production to participate in the OCOP program. By the end of the year, her shredded pork floss and dried beef products achieved a 3-star rating.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa participated in a trade promotion fair in Hanoi at the end of 2022.

"Initially, I made and sold shredded pork and dried beef to supplement my income because my clerk's salary wasn't enough to cover expenses. Now, this business provides the main source of income for my family. Thanks to achieving OCOP certification, ensuring quality, and building a reputation in the market, the products sell quite well. Currently, the facility uses nearly 5 tons of pork and over 3 tons of beef per month for production," Ms. Hoa shared.

Ms. Pham Thi Hoa, Director of Hoa Linh Chi Seafood Processing and Trading Cooperative, introduced the products to the delegation from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh province.

Having worked as a dried seafood distributor for over 30 years, in 2020, participating in the OCOP program, Ms. Pham Thi Hoa (Cuong Gian commune, Nghi Xuan district) transformed her business into the Hoa Linh Chi Seafood Processing and Business Cooperative. By October 2021, she further upgraded the business into a cooperative with 11 members.

Ms. Pham Thi Hoa, Director of Hoa Linh Chi Seafood Processing and Trading Cooperative, said: “In 2020 and 2021, the cooperative had three products that achieved OCOP 3-star status: dried shrimp, dried anchovies, and dried squid. Currently, the dried shrimp is in the process of being upgraded to OCOP 4-star. The OCOP program has brought us many benefits, gaining consumer trust, supplying products to many distributors in various provinces and cities, and especially being 'hand-carried' abroad by many local people. It is estimated that the cooperative's revenue has doubled since the products received OCOP star ratings, with seasonal workers reaching 15-20 people during peak periods. Thanks to good product sales, the cooperative annually purchases about 20 tons of fresh shrimp, 5 tons of fresh anchovies, and 7 tons of fresh squid from fishermen in the province.”

Each year, the Hoa Linh Chi Seafood Processing and Trading Cooperative purchases tens of tons of shrimp, squid, and fish from local fishermen.

On their journey to develop and elevate local products, many female entrepreneurs, after participating in the OCOP program and receiving 3-star or 4-star OCOP certifications, have expanded their products' reach to the market, even exporting them to countries such as South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and the UK.

When mentioning OCOP product brands from Ha Tinh that have established themselves in the market, linked to the leadership role of women, it's impossible not to mention Phu Khuong fish sauce by Ms. Le Thi Khuong (Ky Anh district); spring rolls, sausages, and meatballs by Ms. Le Thi Binh (Huong Son); Anh Thu rice cakes by Ms. Le Hoai Thu (Thach Ha); Hoai Vo sour spring rolls and pork sausage by Ms. Vo Thi Hoai (Can Loc); herbal essential oils and sprouted grain tea by Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung (Ky Anh district); Thuan Ha deer antler velvet by Ms. Chu Thi Hong Ha (Huong Son), etc.

Ms. Chu Thi Hong Ha, Director of Thuan Ha Deer Antler Enterprise, was honored as "Outstanding Vietnamese Farmer" in 2022.

Besides empowering women as business owners, the OCOP program has also made a significant contribution to creating jobs for a large number of female workers in rural areas, developing traditional crafts, promoting rural economic development, and improving the quality of new rural construction.

According to Mr. Le Xuan Tung, Head of the OCOP Department at the Provincial New Rural Development Coordination Office, approximately over 50% of OCOP producers in Ha Tinh are women. After nearly five years of implementation, the OCOP program has provided excellent opportunities for women to engage in economic activities and increase their income for themselves and their families. Many OCOP businesses owned by women in the province have yielded significant results, contributing to the branding of local specialty products.

Ngoc Loan

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/nong-nghiep/nhung-co-so-ocop-do-phu-nu-ha-tinh-lam-chu-nbsp/252776.htm