Women start businesses using local agricultural products.

A booth showcasing typical products of Lac Son Agricultural Cooperative at the 2025 local product networking and dissemination program. Photo: VD

In the Que Son region, the image of strings of fermented pork rolls accompanied by bottles of local rice wine used to be a familiar offering during Tet (Lunar New Year), weddings, or ancestral commemorations.

Carrying childhood memories and a concern for preserving the identity of her homeland, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, from the Lac Son Agricultural Cooperative, initiated the project "Standardizing the Production Process and Commercializing Lac Son Nem (fermented pork sausage)". For Ms. Hien, entrepreneurship is not just about making money , but also a journey to restore the value of a product facing the risk of being forgotten.

Under Ms. Hien's leadership, Lac Son Food is persistently reviving the traditional spring roll making craft by connecting women who have preserved family secrets for generations. Lac Son spring rolls are made from fresh pork, mixed with familiar spices such as garlic, galangal, pepper, chili, and betel leaves, then hand-wrapped in banana leaves and guava leaves and naturally fermented.

The meticulous attention to detail in every step and the determination of the young woman helped Lac Son spring rolls achieve OCOP 3-star status. "This journey is my way of showing gratitude to my homeland. Lac Son spring rolls must retain their traditional flavor, but must also be tastier than they are today to suit new tastes," Ms. Hien shared.

Leveraging local agricultural products for sustainable entrepreneurship, the QNa Farm Production - Trade - Service Cooperative is a gathering place for strong, creative, and persistent women pursuing the path of clean agriculture. Ms. Pham Thi My Nuong, Director of the QNa Farm Cooperative, shared that the facility focuses on processing readily available local agricultural products such as dwarf bananas, white turmeric, ginger, jackfruit, etc., to enhance product value and create a stable market for farmers.

QNa Farm's OCOP products are introduced right in the local raw material area. Photo: VD

Currently, QNa Farm has 4 OCOP products: white turmeric starch (3 stars), white turmeric pills (4 stars), green banana powder (3 stars), and ginger candy (3 stars). Ms. Pham Thi My Nuong, Director of QNa Farm Cooperative, said that from 2023 to the present, thanks to the application of technologies such as freeze dryers and ultra-fine powder grinders, QNa Farm has better met market demands, helping revenue grow by 20-30% each year. The cooperative's products are available at more than 100 distributors nationwide and reach customers through many digital platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, Shopee, and websites.

In addition, the unit currently provides regular employment for 12 workers, all of whom are women, with an income of 6-10 million VND per month.

The cooperative also collaborates with dozens of households in Lanh Ngoc commune and surrounding areas to supply raw materials such as white turmeric, green bananas, ginger, etc., covering a total area of nearly 50 hectares. "We provide seeds, cultivation techniques, and guarantee the purchase of the output so that people can cultivate with peace of mind," Ms. Nuong said.

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