Female entrepreneur passionate about OCOP (One Commune One Product)

Although their participation in the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program came about through various circumstances, female entrepreneurs like Ms. Nguyen Thuy Ha and Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Phuong all share a common starting point: a passion for OCOP and a commitment to bringing quality products to the community.

Braised pork belly, brown rice tea, black beans, black sesame from Son Duong; guava from Hoanh Bo; upland rice, upland taro from Dong Son… are some of the 3-star and 4-star OCOP products at the city level in Ha Long, nurtured by Ms. Nguyen Thuy Ha, Director of Viet Hung Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Cooperative. Each product embodies her passion and dedication to clean agriculture and her deep affection for the people in the ethnic minority communities.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Ha (far right) and other villagers from Dong Son commune go to the fields.

Ms. Ha said: “To produce OCOP products, we must select products that are truly specialties and unique to each region, unlike anything found elsewhere. Only then can we avoid losing the essence of OCOP. The cooperative handles the legal procedures, guarantees sales, and manages the marketing of the products for the farmers. We also work closely with the local authorities to encourage, educate, and guide farmers to participate in OCOP production in a specialized way, improving quality and expanding production areas.”

Finding a genuine OCOP product is truly like "searching for a needle in a haystack." For example, in Dong Son, who would have thought that the rice and potatoes grown on the highlands by the Dao people there could sell like hotcakes in the city? Choosing to go back to the mountains and forests, visiting each garden to guide the people on how to fertilize the guava trees in Hoanh Bo; following the people through the forest and across streams to reach each rice and potato field… Ms. Ha has never complained of fatigue. She always radiates positive energy and passion.

When asked about the secret to winning the hearts of the locals, Ms. Ha smiled and said, "The locals are very genuine! If you speak honestly, act honestly, and treat them sincerely, they will treat you sincerely in return!" After Son Duong and Dong Son, this year Ms. Ha is embarking on a potential OCOP project for the golden flower tea grown on Thien Son peak in Ky Thuong commune. She said, "This year, I'm striving to achieve a 4-star OCOP rating for Ky Thuong golden flower tea. The flavor of the tea flowers growing amidst the clouds here is rarely found anywhere else."

The common thread among female entrepreneurs involved in the OCOP program is their shared commitment to creating good, wholesome products that benefit public health. They grapple with the question of how to make these high-quality products accessible to more people. For businesswoman Nguyen Thi Mai Phuong, Deputy Director of Phuong Thuy Production and Trading Co., Ltd. (Uong Bi City), "health" is the reason she transitioned from a bank employee to developing a 4-star OCOP brand for her cordyceps products.

Ms. Nguyen Mai Phuong inspects the packaging process of cordyceps soaked in honey.

Having precancerous cells in her body, Mai Phuong's health deteriorated significantly after giving birth to her third child via cesarean section. Through a friend, she learned about and used Cordyceps sinensis. After using it for a while, her health improved noticeably, so she decided to cultivate the fungus herself. Initially, she used it for herself, her family, and acquaintances. Later, she received positive feedback and encouragement to produce and commercialize the product to supply quality goods to the market. Mai Phuong boldly invested in a factory and machinery to produce Cordyceps sinensis on a large scale. Thus, from a consumer, she became a producer.

Having ventured into high-tech agriculture from a new background, she learned as she went along. Now, after four years of development, Phuong Thuy Production and Trading Co., Ltd. has mastered the technology of cultivating medicinal Cordyceps sinensis with high levels of active ingredients. The Cordyceps sinensis products produced by the company have been recognized as a typical 4-star OCOP product of Quang Ninh province and a model production facility of Uong Bi city. Each year, her production facility welcomes numerous delegations from within and outside the province to learn from her experience.

From Cordyceps sinensis, Ms. Mai Phuong has launched many products such as dried Cordyceps sinensis, fresh Cordyceps sinensis, Cordyceps sinensis tea, Cordyceps sinensis soaked in alcohol, Cordyceps sinensis soaked in honey, etc. With high quality, attractive packaging and affordable prices, the products are favored by many consumers inside and outside the province. Currently, the products are exported according to orders from several units in the coal industry, consigned to a system of 200 pharmacies in the province, and are gradually being distributed to the nationwide market.

With their contributions to the OCOP program and the New Rural Development program, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Ha and Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Phuong are helping to develop Quang Ninh's OCOP brand, improving its quality and establishing its brand not only at the provincial level but also at the national level. At the same time, they have left a unique mark of women participating in OCOP product production, demonstrating gentleness, decisiveness, dedication, and vision.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/nu-doanh-nhan-dam-me-lam-ocop-3347045.html