Reaching OCOP products - Vinh Long Online

Enterprises proactively apply science and technology to production, processing, and improving the quality of OCOP products.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan: OCOP products are Vietnamese values ​​and identities, OCOP products need to compete with cultural values ​​when approaching the market. Nowadays, consumers do not only buy products but also buy "the story that creates the product". The more special the story, the more different the price, the easier it is to communicate and promote the product to the market. Therefore, the story must be built with different cultural values, indigenous knowledge, shown on packaging and labels.

With the spirit of innovation, OCOP entities have constantly improved, enhanced product quality, developed brands and gradually conquered the most demanding markets, affirming the position of Vinh Long OCOP products.

OCOP - affirming the position of local agricultural products

In recent years, in order for the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program to be effective, the province has focused on organizing production associated with planning raw material areas, developing OCOP products based on strengths and advantages in natural conditions, raw material sources, knowledge, indigenous culture and local production practices. Accordingly, after more than 5 years of implementing the OCOP program, the province's key agricultural products have been developed in an organic and ecological direction, ensuring food safety and in line with market trends. The whole province currently has 159 4-star provincial OCOP products (100 products achieving 3 stars and 59 products achieving 4 stars) with 98 participating entities (28 cooperatives, 2 cooperative groups, 20 enterprises and 48 production and business households).

With a chain of products processed from the pomelos of My Hoa, Ms. Pham Thi Phuong - Director of Van Phuong Production and Trading Company Limited (Binh Minh Town) shared: "Binh Minh Town has an abundant source of raw materials, especially pomelo peels - a material that is thought to be just discarded, so I want to create delicious, nutritious products, contributing to solving thousands of tons of waste from pomelo peels every year, helping to protect the environment and creating jobs for rural workers. Through the OCOP program, I have converted to modern production and processing processes, improved quality, and innovated product packaging designs. After being recognized as an OCOP product, I have many opportunities to promote products, promote trade, customers know more about the products, sell at higher prices and the output is also more stable".

According to the agricultural sector, the number of OCOP products is currently growing with quality and design being improved and enhanced. The OCOP program has also created major changes in terms of trade, OCOP products are distributed stably in supermarket systems, spread and consumed strongly in conjunction with online sales on social networks. Many products have also reached out to the world.

With many products processed from local ingredients and OCOP certified, Ms. Nguyen Thi Truc Linh - Director of Thuan Duyen Food Co., Ltd. (Tan Phu commune, Tam Binh district) excitedly said: "Vinh Long has abundant and quality raw materials for processing spices. Therefore, businesses have production advantages, save input costs, and increase competitive advantages. Thanks to the 4-star OCOP product certification, the company's products are "given wings", increasingly affirming their position in the market. In addition to domestic consumption, the products are also exported to Cambodia, the US, Canada, Taiwan, Switzerland, etc. Businesses have more motivation to boldly invest and have a more sustainable direction in the future".

Many entities expressed their joy at the recognition of OCOP, and product consumption has also become much more convenient.

In the past year, Vinh Long had 4 potential products achieving 5-star OCOP, requesting the Central level to evaluate and recognize national OCOP products. These products all have main local raw material areas of durian and sweet potato.

There are 2 products proposed by the province to be upgraded to 5-star OCOP products, which are dried purple sweet potatoes and dried yellow sweet potatoes. Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai - Director of Dong Phat Food Company Limited (Tan Binh Commune, Binh Tan District) said: In the past time, the company has continuously invested and improved the most modern machinery system to produce quality products. The company also focuses on choosing to sign cooperation agreements with units and cooperatives that meet VietGAP standards to provide input materials, at the same time, carefully process and screen before processing. In addition to domestic consumption, these 2 products are also exported to the markets of Korea, Brazil, and Russia with an output of 100-120 tons/month, contributing to the good consumption of sweet potato raw materials in the locality.

Giving wings to OCOP products to go far

It can be seen that the OCOP Program has been creating positive spillover effects, impacting rural economic development, transforming from small-scale agricultural production to value chain linkage, creating new momentum, affirming the brand and product value in the market.

Mr. Nguyen The Cong - Head of the Department of Rural Development (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development) said: The OCOP program has brought about efficiency and spread. Many localities have seen the potential and strengths to have appropriate solutions to develop OCOP products. Products with OCOP certification all have stable consumption markets, many products have been exported to demanding markets.

In fact, recognized OCOP products have created strong trust among consumers. However, according to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, there should be practical policies to support OCOP-standard establishments to continue upgrading to create a spillover effect of the program. In addition, the subjects also need to focus on improving designs, enhancing product quality, and increasing the competitiveness of OCOP products.

Mr. Nguyen Van Liem - Acting Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: In the coming time, in addition to evaluating and classifying OCOP products, the agricultural sector will strengthen information and propaganda work on the OCOP program; develop typical agricultural raw material areas associated with OCOP products and develop OCOP products according to the value chain, suitable to the advantages and conditions of the locality; promote trade promotion activities, connecting supply and demand for OCOP products...

OCOP products are increasingly improving in quality to meet market requirements.

It can be seen that OCOP is a program of great significance for the socio-economic development of the locality. For the program to be effective and sustainable, it requires the joint efforts of the functional sectors, localities, production entities and people. From there, the development of OCOP products will continue to unleash the potential and advantages of rural areas, promote sustainable development of the rural economy, and contribute to building a new rural area in depth, effectively and sustainably.

Article and photos: THAO LY

Source: https://baovinhlong.vn/kinh-te/202502/vuon-tamsan-pham-ocop-2733492/