Binh Dinh OCOP products on the "floor"

Binh Dinh province's functional departments have been making efforts to bring OCOP product production and trading units to participate in e-commerce.

Thereby gradually affirming the right direction, in line with the strong development of modern science and technology. STANDING SIDE BY SIDE with businesses The fourth industrial revolution has become a driving force for the world's e-commerce as well as Vietnam's increasingly developing. E-commerce has become an inevitable trend, bringing new development opportunities for the business community and the economy. In Binh Dinh province, with advantages in geographical location, human resources and typical OCOP products, e-commerce is expected to be an important driving force to promote the local economy. According to data from the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) and the Department of E-commerce - Digital Economy ( Ministry of Industry and Trade ), in 2024, Binh Dinh province's e-commerce index ranked 15th out of 63 provinces and cities nationwide. Mr. Ngo Van Tong, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Binh Dinh province, said that with the above ranking results, the province's e-commerce has a solid foundation to accelerate the digital transformation process, expand new distribution channels, and increase the value of products. To achieve the above results, in the period of 2023 - 2024, the Department of Industry and Trade of Binh Dinh province has coordinated with functional units to build specialized database software for trade promotion and key export industries, as well as upgrade and maintain the e-commerce website connecting trade between Binh Dinh and the southern provinces of Laos.

In addition, the Department of Industry and Trade also implemented the maintenance of online map software for the Vietnamese goods distribution system in Binh Dinh province, supporting 10 enterprises to apply digital technology solutions (barcode technology, QR code, NFC chip, blockchain technology...) to trace the origin of products. At the same time, supporting 10 enterprises to build e-commerce websites; 2 enterprises to apply e-commerce through e-business tools and 5 enterprises, cooperatives, and qualified production facilities with products meeting OCOP certifications to develop through the Shopee e-commerce platform. The purpose is to focus on supporting and building typical models to lead and spread the buying, selling and consuming of agricultural products on e-commerce platforms. Up to now, Binh Dinh province has a total of 477 OCOP products. Of these, 435 products achieved 3-star rating (accounting for 91.19%), 42 products achieved 4-star rating (accounting for 8.81%) and 223 OCOP products were put on e-commerce platforms. "This shows the remarkable progress in quality and sustainable development of OCOP products. Binh Dinh's OCOP products are not only favored by consumers in the province but also have the potential to develop in domestic and foreign markets" - Mr. Ngo Van Tong said. "Clean from the heart, peaceful living" According to businesses operating for many years in the field of production and business, selling products is selling stories. A normal commodity product will be multiplied in value many times if it knows how to include stories associated with the production process.

These can be stories about typical cultural values ​​or unique features about the origin, special uses of the product, the formation process and the motto of the enterprise. This is also a source of pride in the value of local resources, culture, dedication and expectations of the product creators. The Kicafoods dry vermicelli and pho products of Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Kieu and his wife, Ms. Le Thi Canh, in An Hao Dong commune, Hoai An district (Binh Dinh) are a typical example. In mid-2020, Mr. Kieu and his wife started a business in their hometown of An Hao Dong with the traditional dry vermicelli and pho making business. With the support of family and relatives, the couple invested in building a factory, purchasing machinery and equipment. By 2021, they registered to establish the Kicafoods Food Production and Trading Facility with the main products being dry vermicelli and pho made from rice and brown rice. Along with that, Mr. Kieu and his wife focus on product design and packaging, prioritizing safe, high-quality ingredients to ensure the health of consumers as well as accessing technology, bringing Kicafoods products to online consumption channels to expand the market (Lazada, Shopee and on the TikTok platform). Ms. Le Thi Canh's family has a tradition of producing dry vermicelli and pho for more than 10 years. The small-scale production facility, made in the traditional way, is quite hard. "With the goal of making sure that everyone in the family uses dry vermicelli and pho, I started doing all the steps to feel how hard it is. When I understood and loved this job, my dry vermicelli and pho brand was born with the motto "Clean from the heart, live peacefully" to create delicious and safe products, so it received many positive reviews" - Ms. Le Thi Canh, founder and operator of Kicafoods, shared. Kicafoods dry noodles and pho exported To date, the Kicafoods dry noodles and pho brand has been recognized as a 3-star provincial OCOP product, and is considered a product with great potential for investment and development in the locality. The product has also been exported to the Lao and Cambodian markets. In addition, Mr. Kieu and Ms. Canh have sent 30 sample boxes to two countries, New Zealand and South Korea, for partners to analyze, evaluate quality and survey market demand. "The most unforgettable moment was the first time I wrote an article sharing the story of dry noodles and pho on my personal Facebook page. After finishing, I nervously closed my eyes and... pressed the Enter key. It may be normal for someone, but for me, pressing the Enter key is a struggle. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step", just overcoming that moment is enough to take you a step further" - Ms. Le Thi Canh confided. It can be seen that online sales through websites, e-commerce platforms and social networking sites have become increasingly popular in the era of technology 4.0. This not only brings convenience to sellers but also to buyers with many new benefits, such as: helping businesses and consumers access market information; significantly reducing time and costs of transactions, marketing, market development, and finding partners; reducing production costs, helping with quick and convenient payments. However, OCOP entities need to be more proactive in building brands and improving product quality to build trust, gradually affirming their reputation with consumers and gradually expanding market share. Source: https://nld.com.vn/san-pham-ocop-binh-dinh-len-san-196250113140943141.htm