Building OCOP products - a solution to "keep the fire" of craft villages

Thanh Hoa has long been known as the land of “hundreds of crafts” with the richest system of craft villages in the country. From Nga Son mats, Tat Tac blacksmithing, Phu Quang tea,... each handicraft product not only carries cultural value, but is also the pride of the local people. Many crafts and craft villages of the province were once lost. But in recent years, the emergence of the OCOP Program has become an important lever, both preserving the traditional features of each craft village and developing in a modern and sustainable direction.

OCOP products of stainless steel knives from Tan Loc Tai, Trieu Loc commune, participate in exhibitions at fairs and trade events of the province.

The Tat Tac blacksmithing craft in Trieu Loc commune is one of the clear examples of change thanks to the OCOP Program. If in the past, the blacksmithing tools only served the daily life and production needs of people in the province and region, now, thanks to the strong improvement in both design and quality of products participating in OCOP, the products of the blacksmithing village have reached far, meeting the increasingly diverse needs of consumers. At the same time, promoting the application of new science and technology in production to improve the product level. Thanks to that, the Tat Tac blacksmithing craft village has 2 OCOP products: hand-forged knives of Tinh Anh Thu Company Limited, Tan Loc Tai stainless steel knives and dozens of products that have changed, applying the OCOP cycle in production.

Mr. Nguyen Hung Viet, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Trieu Loc Commune, said: "After implementing the 2-level local government, Trieu Loc Commune has traditional occupations such as Tat Tac blacksmithing, wine making... and has 3/4 OCOP products from traditional occupations and craft villages. Thanks to the OCOP Program, the local craft villages are more vibrant and modern. People and workers in the craft villages have focused on applying technology and techniques to renew traditional products according to market needs and trends. Thanks to that, the commune's craft village products are not only widely consumed in the domestic market but also gradually move towards export."

Not only Trieu Loc but also Thieu Trung commune is witnessing a transformation thanks to OCOP. The bronze casting profession, which is famous for the sophistication of the craftsmen's hands, is now expanding its market through OCOP products such as Toan Linh bronze drums, Bay Tuyen bronze drums... Instead of small-scale, fragmented production, establishments have built collections, clearly segmented customers and put products on e-commerce platforms. This not only helps increase revenue but also brings the quintessence of bronze casting closer to modern life. Through production according to the OCOP cycle, the products of the bronze casting craft village have been meeting the consumer needs of the modern market.

According to statistics, Thanh Hoa province currently has 118 craft villages and 31 traditional crafts that have been recognized. Craft villages have created jobs for tens of thousands of workers, changing the face and improving the quality of life of people in rural areas. This is an extremely valuable resource, creating jobs for hundreds of thousands of rural workers and contributing to changing the face of the new rural area. Of which, 42 products of crafts and craft villages have been evaluated and classified as achieving 3 OCOP stars or higher. Typical OCOP products of craft villages include: sedge mats, Lam Tham sticky rice cakes, Xuan Lap toothpicks, Phu Xuan rice vermicelli, Ngoc Thom conical hats, Thieu Trung bronze wares, Tan Chau rice paper, Tien Loc forged knives, Thang Long rice vermicelli, Van Thang incense, Phu Quang green tea, Ai village's fermented soybean paste... However, the challenges of craft villages in the development of OCOP products are that the products lack diversity, the brand is weak, and the promotion work is not really synchronized...

Mr. Nguyen Ba Chau, the owner of OCOP production in Tra Dong bronze casting village, said: “Although it has been around for hundreds of years, it is only when the OCOP Program is in place that the products of the craft village have more “support” to step out of the “countryside market” and become branded goods. Thanks to the standardization of quality, packaging, and labels according to the OCOP cycle, the products of the craft village have a place in supermarkets, shopping malls, and e-commerce platforms. When there is more OCOP motivation, the products coming out of the craft village will excel and become strong brands because the products of the craft village inherently carry within them a unique and distinct identity.”

It can be affirmed that craft villages and OCOP have been interacting and supporting each other to develop together. In particular, craft villages contribute to creating product resources for the OCOP Program, and OCOP products bring a modern breath, connecting the market for craft village products. Along with that, when OCOP certified products are consumed more strongly, it will bring new vitality to craft villages, create stable jobs and increase income for local workers. In fact, there have been craft village products thanks to the "wind" of OCOP that have flown high, reaching far into the world , such as: shrimp paste, Le Gia shrimp paste of Khuc Phu fish sauce craft village, Hoang Thanh commune; sedge handicrafts of Nga An commune, Nga Son... From there, affirming the value of craft village products and contributing to raising the level of OCOP products of Thanh land.

Le Hoa

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/xay-dung-san-pham-ocop-giai-phap-nbsp-nbsp-giu-lua-lang-nghe-267644.htm