Ho Chi Minh City OCOP seeks solutions to develop value chains and enhance brands

On the morning of November 29, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City organized a workshop on 'Promoting the development of OCOP value chains, connecting consumption and promoting brands'.

The workshop was organized with the aim of connecting, sharing experiences, creating values, creating a forum for management agencies, enterprises, cooperatives, OCOP entities and distribution units to exchange and propose solutions to develop the OCOP value chain from production, processing, distribution to consumption. Thereby, helping OCOP products to strengthen market connections, expand modern distribution systems and e-commerce, promote brands, and build the image of OCOP products of the city.

Mr. Nguyen Van Da, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ho Chi Minh City, said that Ho Chi Minh City currently has 1,006 OCOP products with 416 participating entities. Of these, 786 products have achieved 3 stars and 220 products have achieved 4 stars.

The workshop is part of the first series of events to promote and connect trade of OCOP products in 2025 with the theme 'OCOP Ho Chi Minh City - Integration and Development'. Photo: Le Binh .

In recent times, Ho Chi Minh City has implemented many policies to encourage businesses to invest in rural agriculture, connect and consume products. Infrastructure, logistics, and e-commerce have developed strongly, helping Ho Chi Minh City's OCOP products easily reach consumers, expanding domestic and foreign markets. Enterprises, cooperatives, and production households have a spirit of innovation and creativity, focusing on improving product quality and design.

“Many products have the potential of large urban areas such as processed foods, beverages, handicrafts, ornamental plants, high-tech agricultural products... which are suitable for the green economic development orientation and circular economy of Ho Chi Minh City. The implementation of the One Commune One Product Program has brought positive results, creating a strong driving force for rural economic development,” Mr. Da shared.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Director of Trade Promotion Center ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ). Photo: Le Binh .

However, Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Director of the Trade Promotion Center (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) said that although Ho Chi Minh City currently has more than 1,000 OCOP products, most of them are only at the 3-star level, there are no 5-star products. The important thing now is to reposition the OCOP product group, improve quality and build a brand based on the individual story of each craft village.

“Ho Chi Minh City has a great advantage in gift products, especially in the context of strong tourism development. Therefore, the city needs to prioritize support for innovation in design and packaging, especially for the international market. Currently, the design of OCOP products in Ho Chi Minh City has improved, but most of them still do not tell the story of origin, and have not made a strong impression on tourists,” Mr. Tien emphasized.

In addition, Mr. Tien said that the city needs to expand the OCOP product ecosystem, instead of just appearing in the traditional form. “Dried fish and dried squid should not only be dried and sold as before. It is completely possible to pre-process, season, and package conveniently for young people and tourists,” Mr. Tien suggested.

Ho Chi Minh City strives to have 5-10 5-star OCOP products in the period 2025 - 2030. Photo: Le Binh .

One of the key solutions he particularly emphasized was digital transformation. According to him, this is not only a sales tool but also a way to tell the product story, trace the origin and create trust for consumers. “Each OCOP entity needs to have its own sales channel, with content introducing the production process, so that the product can really be seen in the market,” he said.

Mr. Tien hopes that Ho Chi Minh City will further promote trade connection events and strongly develop e-commerce channels so that OCOP products can "spread to their full potential as a megacity".

Cooperation Signing Ceremony between Ho Chi Minh City Department of Rural Development and Vietnam Farmers' Club. Photo: Le Binh .

At the workshop, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Rural Development and the Vietnam Farmers' Club also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in implementing the City's policies and programs on rural development. At the same time, the cooperation program also helps the parties exploit business resources to improve competitiveness and sustainable development of agricultural products.

Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/ocop-tphcm-tim-loi-giai-phat-trien-chuoi-gia-tri-va-nang-tam-thuong-hieu-d787214.html