OCOP products: A new lease of life in Vietnamese villages.

By the end of 2025, the whole country will have nearly 17,400 OCOP products achieving 3 stars or higher, an increase of more than 8,400 products compared to 2022, exceeding the target set in Decision 919/QD-TTg.

Phu Quoc pepper, a product of An Giang province that achieved OCOP 3-star rating, was displayed at the exhibition of typical OCOP products in the Mekong Delta region.

Beyond just product stories or destinations, the "One Commune, One Product" (OCOP) program and rural tourism are breathing new life into Vietnamese villages.

Developing rural tourism is a highlight of the National Target Program for building new rural areas, creating jobs, increasing income, and reviving local cultural values.

The achievements contribute to supporting localities in effectively and sustainably implementing the new rural development criteria, creating strong potential for breakthroughs in the coming period.

In reality, the development of rural tourism has made significant contributions to the process of building new rural areas, especially in creating beautiful landscapes for villages, preserving national cultural identity, and attracting unemployed rural laborers to participate in tourism activities.

Minister of Agriculture and Environment Tran Duc Thang affirmed that, along with the National Target Program for building new rural areas, the OCOP program and rural tourism have contributed to improving the material and spiritual lives of people, promoting gender equality, fostering creativity in the community, and affirming the economic resilience of Vietnamese rural areas in the era of integration.

In particular, from January 1, 2026, when the three major programs – building new rural areas, sustainable poverty reduction, and socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous regions – become a unified program, this will be a crucial turning point that helps increase investment efficiency, avoid duplication, promote regional linkages, and create a foundation for the more sustainable development of OCOP and rural tourism.

By the end of 2025, the whole country will have nearly 17,400 OCOP products achieving 3 stars or higher, an increase of more than 8,400 products compared to 2022, exceeding the target set in Decision 919/QD-TTg.

Among the more than 9,300 OCOP (One Commune One Product) businesses, 40% are women and nearly 20% are ethnic minorities, demonstrating the inclusiveness and reach of the program.

Each OCOP product is not only proof of quality standards, but also reflects the spirit of innovation, creativity, and the aspiration to prosper of the people right in their own homeland.

When products receive OCOP certification, they usually sell better and fetch higher prices, thereby building greater consumer confidence and encouraging the strong development of rural entrepreneurship.

Alongside the OCOP program, agricultural and rural tourism is also witnessing a significant resurgence, with over 600 rural tourism models currently in operation, a 1.6-fold increase compared to 2021.

Many models have become shining examples by effectively combining agricultural production, OCOP product business, and community tourism development, opening up new avenues for building regional brands and increasing people's income.

Many of these models are linked to regional characteristics, creating a strong shift in the mindset of the people from purely agricultural work to a multi-value economy combined with tourism.

Many localities have demonstrated strong resilience when the right policies are in place, such as Thai Nguyen tea, which has been certified under the OCOP program, increasing its value many times over and becoming a national key product; and Tu Ky embroidery village (Hai Duong) - from a little-known product, now combines tourism and experiences, increasing its selling price by 2-3 times and attracting more and more tourists.

OCOP products were displayed at the fair.

Accordingly, OCOP has helped transform small-scale production models into chain linkages, forming stable raw material areas and opening up sustainable livelihoods for remote areas and ethnic minority communities.

According to Mr. Ngo Truong Son, Chief of the Central Office for Coordinating New Rural Development, to date, more than 4,000 OCOP products nationwide have QR codes, and nearly 3,000 products are distributed on e-commerce platforms such as Postmart, Voso, Shopee, and Lazada – demonstrating the strong progress in the digital transformation of the program.

60.7% of OCOP businesses experienced an average annual revenue increase of 17.6%, and 42.3% expanded their workforce, demonstrating the clear effectiveness of the program in rural economic development.

Revenue from tourism associated with OCOP (One Commune One Product) and traditional craft villages currently reaches over 25,000 billion VND per year, accounting for approximately 15% of the total value of rural production.

Notably, many Vietnamese OCOP products such as ST25 rice, roasted coffee, cinnamon essential oil, cashews, forest honey, herbal tea, etc., have reached more than 60 countries, affirming the position of Vietnamese agricultural brands in the international market.

Looking ahead to the new phase (2026–2030), the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment is orienting the shift from OCOP "based on products" to OCOP "based on regions and value chains."

The goal is that by 2030, the whole country will have 20,000 OCOP products achieving 3 stars or higher; including 150 products meeting the national 5-star standard.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has identified a series of key tasks, including perfecting mechanisms and policies; researching and coordinating with ministries and agencies to develop a separate decree on the development of OCOP and rural tourism; and researching preferential mechanisms regarding land, credit, labor, and technology.

In addition, the application of science and technology, digital transformation, and the building of a national digital database on OCOP and rural tourism will serve to facilitate traceability, quality management, and connection to e-commerce platforms.

The Ministry will take the lead in building a national database on OCOP and rural tourism, promoting e-commerce connectivity, and coordinating with other ministries and agencies to organize domestic and international fairs and exhibitions to support OCOP businesses in reaching global markets, so that the program can truly develop in the new phase of the country.

Based on specific figures and models, it can be affirmed that OCOP and rural tourism are not just two simple economic development programs, but vivid expressions of the aspiration to transform Vietnamese rural areas – making them modern, creative, sustainable, and rich in identity.

vietnamplus.vn

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/san-pham-ocop-suc-song-moi-o-lang-que-viet-post894010.html