Changing mindsets and enhancing the value of OCOP products.

After nearly eight years of implementation, the OCOP Program has become one of the effective "leverages" for promoting rural economic development and building many sustainable production value chains. In the new phase, with an open economy and international integration, the OCOP Program no longer stops at developing quantity but requires entities to have a breakthrough in production thinking to build more high-quality OCOP products with a significant impact on the market.

Yen Lac Agricultural Services and Trade Cooperative participated in the Thanh Hoa Province Conference on Connecting Supply and Demand for Safe Agricultural Products and Food in 2025.

With 661 OCOP products, including 2 five-star products, 59 four-star products, and 600 three-star products, Thanh Hoa province has built a diverse product ecosystem with strong market competitiveness. Approximately 60% of OCOP products have experienced strong growth in both production scale and overall development. However, many products still face the problem of "bumper harvest, low prices," or remain confined to small domestic markets, or are produced and consumed seasonally. The reasons cited by producers are fragmented production methods based on traditional experience, coupled with a lack of resources and management expertise, leading to insufficient market research.

At the Yen Lac Agricultural and Commercial Service Cooperative in Yen Tho commune – a traditional cooperative with small-scale production – thanks to its dynamism, flexibility, and innovative thinking in production and business services, it has now proactively linked up and produced on a large scale, annually producing and selling 20-25 tons of finished vermicelli, generating revenue of over 2 billion VND per year, creating jobs and regular income for 6 workers.

According to Pham Cong Bao, Director of the cooperative: "Although we have developed Yen Lac cassava vermicelli, which is highly valued by the market for its quality, in previous years, due to insufficient financial capacity to develop the raw material area and invest in large-scale production machinery, the product was mainly sold and consumed seasonally from October to April of the following year. This reduced professionalism and competitiveness in the market. Therefore, since 2024, the cooperative has advised the People's Committee of Yen Lac commune (formerly) to develop a raw material area of ​​hundreds of hectares; the cooperative has signed contracts to link and guarantee the purchase of products from the people. In addition, the cooperative has access to preferential loans from the Thanh Hoa Provincial Cooperative Development Support Fund to invest in machinery, workshops, warehouses, etc., so we have sufficient conditions to preserve raw materials and produce year-round."

It is known that, with proactive production, the cooperative has a year-round supply of products, not only meeting the needs of local and provincial consumption but also actively participating in trade fairs to promote and connect with large consumption points. Currently, the cooperative is present in 20 provinces and cities nationwide.

Also among the cooperatives established to promote local agricultural development, the Binh Son Agricultural and Forestry Service Cooperative in Tho Binh commune has actively learned to change its production mindset. The result of this innovative thinking is the successful development of four OCOP (One Commune One Product) products, including one 4-star OCOP product, Binh Son clean green tea, with high sales volume. Cooperative Director Le Dinh Tu stated: "Currently, the cooperative's revenue reaches over 3 billion VND per year, 2.5 times higher than when we first started developing OCOP products. This success is thanks to the change in mindset of the cooperative's management board."

It is known that the Binh Son Agricultural and Forestry Service Cooperative has elevated raw materials into culturally rich, high-value-added products through product stories linked to the production and daily lives of the people. Along with that, the cooperative has developed OCOP products with local characteristics and quality standards. The application of ISO and VietGAP standards not only helps control quality but also serves as a "passport" for OCOP products to enter large supermarket chains and modern consumer channels.

“Instead of just selling ‘what we have,’ we’ve shifted to selling ‘what the market needs.’ Therefore, the cooperative has invested in machinery to process and create traditional loose leaf teas, tea bags, etc., meeting the needs and tastes of the market and consumers, resulting in high economic efficiency,” Mr. Tú shared.

In reality, when developing OCOP products, most businesses proactively invest in developing technology and production techniques, and grasp market trends to find effective ways to establish the product's position. Simultaneously, they boost promotion and sales through digital platforms. The lesson of changing mindsets in building OCOP products in the province has been confirmed by many seemingly small products that have strong market competitiveness, such as Binh Son tea, Thang Long rice vermicelli, Muong Deng Mac Khen salt, and Thanh Phat macadamia nuts.

By 2026, digital transformation will no longer be an option but a mandatory requirement. A shift in mindset regarding distribution channels is key. Instead of relying solely on traditional trade fairs, OCOP (One Commune One Product) entities need to proactively bring their products to e-commerce platforms, social media, and utilize livestreaming as an effective direct sales tool. Simultaneously, applying QR codes for traceability and transparency from farm to table will not only build customer trust but also enhance the management capacity of cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The OCOP program is entering a new phase – a phase of quality and depth. Along with this, changing production mindsets is not something that happens overnight. Therefore, besides the efforts of producers, the support and cooperation of local authorities and relevant provincial departments and agencies are crucial. Only when the mindset shifts from "production" to "business," from "quantity" to "quality," will OCOP products truly become "precious gems."

Text and photos: Le Hoa

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/thay-doi-tu-duy-nang-tam-gia-tri-cho-san-pham-ocop-275042.htm