OCOP products contribute to increasing income and building new rural areas in depth.

Building new rural areas is not just about investing in and improving infrastructure, but more importantly, it's about creating sustainable livelihoods, increasing income, and improving the quality of life for rural people.

When a product is recognized as meeting OCOP standards, opportunities to access the market are expanded.

In this context, the "One Commune, One Product" (OCOP) program has been affirming its role as an important pillar in rural economic development, contributing to the reorganization of production, the effective exploitation of local advantages, and the promotion of new rural development in a profound and sustainable manner.

OCOP – A solution to unleash the potential of rural areas.

Unlike the fragmented and small-scale production methods of the past, the OCOP program promotes the reorganization of production towards linkages, forming cooperatives, cooperative groups, and small and medium-sized enterprises that deeply participate in the production, processing, and consumption stages. Through product standardization, brand building, star rating, and trade promotion support, the economic value of many distinctive products has been significantly increased.

The OCOP program was approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 919/QD-TTg, with the goal of developing the rural economy by leveraging local resources, increasing value, and linking production with the market. The focus of OCOP is the development of agricultural , non-agricultural, and service products with advantages in each locality along the value chain, with the people and rural economic entities at the center.

ST25 rice from Bac Ruong is also one of the OCOP products.

In practice, when products are recognized as meeting OCOP standards, opportunities to access markets expand, from traditional markets to supermarkets, convenience stores, e-commerce platforms, and exports. As a result, the income of rural people improves, local jobs are created, contributing to the sustainable achievement of income and production organization criteria in the construction of new rural areas.

In Lam Dong province, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program is identified as a major and overarching policy in rural economic development. The province's OCOP products mainly consist of strong, distinctive items such as fish sauce, dragon fruit and processed dragon fruit products, processed seafood, organic rice, and bird's nest.

This will not only effectively utilize existing potential but also build an image and brand for local agricultural products in domestic and international markets.

Hoa Le Clean Dragon Fruit Cooperative (Ham Thuan commune) is one of the exemplary cooperatives because it has many OCOP products.

From OCOP products to sustainable livelihoods for the people.

One of the most vivid examples of the effectiveness of the OCOP program is the Hoa Le Clean Dragon Fruit Cooperative (Ham Thuan commune). Established in 2017, the Hoa Le Clean Dragon Fruit Cooperative currently has 12 members, cultivating over 35 hectares of white and red dragon fruit, of which 12 hectares are GlobalGAP certified, and the remaining area is produced according to VietGAP standards.

From the outset, the cooperative has identified a sustainable path: production linked to quality standards, market-oriented, and gradually building a brand for dragon fruit in the province.

In addition to focusing on exporting fresh dragon fruit to markets such as Japan, South Korea, China, and India, Hoa Le Cooperative has also boldly invested in deep processing to increase product value and mitigate risks from market fluctuations.

From dragon fruit and flowers, the cooperative has researched and developed many processed product lines such as dragon fruit wine, juice, jam, ice cream, dragon fruit flower tea, dried dragon fruit buds, essential oil, dragon fruit seeds, etc. Through this, products that were once considered low-value have become branded goods, well-received by the market.

Dragon fruit-based products such as ice cream from Hoa Le Cooperative have been recognized as meeting OCOP standards.

To date, the cooperative has 17 products recognized with OCOP ratings from 3 to 4 stars, including 11 3-star OCOP products and 1 4-star OCOP product in the deep processing category; many products have been honored as typical rural industrial products at the provincial and regional levels.

Focusing on upgrading OCOP (One Commune One Product) ratings not only helps affirm the quality and reputation of products but also motivates cooperatives to continuously innovate and improve product designs and packaging to meet the increasingly high demands of consumers.

More importantly, the OCOP model of Hoa Le Clean Dragon Fruit Cooperative has contributed to solving the problem of stable output for farmers, especially during difficult periods such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

The entire dragon fruit production of the members is purchased under a contract, with a portion for export and the remainder for processing, helping to increase economic value and create sustainable livelihoods for dragon fruit growers.

This is clear evidence of the role of OCOP in raising income, stabilizing people's lives, and making practical contributions to building sustainable new rural areas.

The Four Seasons Bamboo Shoot Cooperative (Phuoc Hoi Ward) is an OCOP model linking production with agricultural tourism.

Similarly, the Four Seasons Bamboo Shoot Cooperative (Phuoc Hoi Ward) is an OCOP model linking production with agricultural tourism, opening up a new direction for the rural economy. The cooperative's organic bamboo shoot products have not only been recognized as 3-star OCOP products but are also exported to demanding markets.

Based on that, the unit has developed an eco-tourism model focusing on bamboo shoot gardens, attracting hundreds of visitors every weekend, creating additional income and jobs for local people.

The province currently has hundreds of valid OCOP products, many of which have joined modern distribution systems such as Co.opmart supermarkets, OCOP showrooms, and convenience stores. Some key products, such as fish sauce, dragon fruit juice, processed seafood, and bird's nest, are not only selling well domestically but are also gradually expanding their export markets.

Turmeric - an OCOP product in Tra Tan commune.

After receiving OCOP certification, products are supported with various forms of promotion and trade facilitation. Many businesses have signed stable sales contracts, maintaining and expanding their production scale. More importantly, OCOP has contributed to the preservation and development of cultural values ​​and traditional crafts, bringing the stories of products with distinct regional identities to consumers.

Developing the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program is the right direction for building new rural areas that are not only "new" in appearance but also "strong" economically and "sustainable" in livelihoods. When OCOP products truly establish themselves in the market, rural areas will become livable spaces where people can legitimately enrich themselves from the local values ​​of their homeland.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/san-pham-ocop-gop-phan-nang-cao-thu-nhap-xay-dung-nong-thon-moi-theo-chieu-sau-410498.html