Developing "OCOP eel"

- With the goal of improving the quality of eel meat and eel seeds supplied to the market, Thanh My Tay VietGAP Eel Farming Trade and Service Cooperative (Chau Phu district) has focused on developing safe farming techniques, becoming a pioneer in developing dried eel products that meet OCOP standards (One Commune One Product Program) in the province.

From the eel breed…

For many years, commercial eel farming has developed strongly in Thanh My Tay commune, with many models bringing economic efficiency. However, due to the competitive factor, along with fluctuating market prices at different times, commercial eel farming has encountered difficulties.

Realizing the difficulties of commercial eels, along with the experience accumulated through many times of raising, Mr. Nguyen Hai Vuong (Long Chau hamlet, Thanh My Tay commune) has switched to raising eel fry to supply the market. Mr. Vuong shared: “Due to the increasing demand of eel farmers, the source of fry is scarce. Meanwhile, the source of natural fry is not guaranteed to be of good quality. Having raised eels for meat for many years, I understand this difficulty very well. Therefore, I decided to switch to raising eel fry to supply the market. Because I could not do it alone, I invited my neighbors to join me.”

Dried eel products meet OCOP standards of Thanh My Tay VietGAP Eel Farming - Service - Trading Cooperative

According to Mr. Vuong, with the support of the Thanh My Tay Farmers' Association and the Chau Phu District Department of Agriculture and Environment, the Thanh My Tay VietGAP Eel Farming Trade and Service Cooperative was established, becoming a place for people with the same goal of raising eel fry to learn from experience and develop professional skills. In about 2 months, members of the cooperative sell from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of fry to the market, with prices ranging from 1,000 - 3,500 VND/eel, depending on size.

“The source of eel seeds that we provide to the market must ensure biosafety, that is, no antibiotics or chemicals are used during the breeding process. Thanks to that, the seeds have a high survival rate and are trusted by farmers everywhere. Not only do we provide seeds for eel farmers in the province, but farmers in other provinces such as Dong Thap, Vinh Long, Bac Lieu, etc. also come to buy eels from our cooperative. This further urges us to strictly maintain the processes of raising and breeding eels, ensuring a quality supply for our people. In addition to eel seeds, we also raise eel meat to supply to the market,” Mr. Vuong shared.

Cooperative providing quality eel seeds to the market

When we arrived, Mr. Vuong was harvesting eel eggs. In addition to raising eel fry in mud, he is experimenting with raising eels that lay eggs using a mud-free method. If successful, he will deploy it to other members of the cooperative.

To the "OCOP eel"

Realizing the potential of the cooperative's eel breeding, the Thanh My Tay Farmers' Association has guided its members to develop OCOP products based on meat eels. Chairman of the Thanh My Tay Farmers' Association Dang Vu Linh said: "With the goal of supporting members in the cooperative to diversify eel products, we have connected with the specialized industry, An Giang University (Ho Chi Minh City National University) to develop techniques for raising and processing meat eels to meet OCOP standards. Currently, the cooperative has been supported with specialized machinery, qualified to supply standard dried eels to the market."

Mr. Dang Vu Linh added that the Cooperative's "3 no" dried eel product with the criteria: No preservatives, no antibiotics, no chemicals has been approved by the People's Committee of Chau Phu district as an "OCOP product" of the district in the first phase of 2025. This is the motivation for the Cooperative to continue developing eel products to serve the market.

“Currently, we have been transferred the technology to make 2 new products: instant dried eel and floss eel, which are expected to be implemented in the near future. Hopefully, the new products will also be welcomed by the market, creating motivation for the Thanh My Tay VietGAP Eel Farming Service - Trading Cooperative to develop better and better” - Mr. Dang Vu Linh added.

Mr. Vuong exploits eel eggs

Despite achieving certain results, the Cooperative's dried eel products are still not widely known. As the director of the Cooperative, Mr. Nguyen Hai Vuong has brought the products to consumers in some places. However, purchasing power has not met expectations. Therefore, Mr. Vuong hopes to be supported in connecting outputs, so that the Cooperative's dried eel products can reach potential markets.

“In fact, if customers from other places order in large quantities or send goods too far away, we do not have enough capacity to meet the demand. In the provincial market, people still do not know much about dried eel. If they try it once, they will feel its unique delicious taste. If I have the opportunity, I hope to participate in many fairs and markets to promote products, connect with the market, and find stable output for products from eels raised according to biosafety standards in Thanh My Tay commune,” Mr. Nguyen Hai Vuong hopes.

MINH QUAN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/an-giang-24-gio/thoi-su/phat-trien-con-luon-ocop--a418373.html