Yen Mo exploits its own advantages to develop OCOP products

Yen Mo is considered one of the localities that effectively implements the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program. Up to now, the whole district has 14 OCOP products that meet 3-4 star standards. To better understand the process of deploying and implementing the program, Ninh Binh Newspaper reporters had an interview with Ms. Nguyen Thi Len, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Yen Mo district.

Reporter (PV): Could you please tell us how Yen Mo district has exploited the local potential and unique advantages in developing OCOP products in recent times?

Ms. Nguyen Thi Len: The OCOP program is a program to develop the rural economy in the direction of developing internal resources and increasing value; it is a solution and task in implementing the National Target Program on New Rural Development. One of the tasks of the OCOP program is to exploit the unique potential of land, products, and available raw material areas to promote production organization and increase the added value of products.

Therefore, when implementing the program, the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with communes and towns to conduct investigations and surveys on land conditions and production areas; review and select to find specialty and traditional products associated with local advantages and strengths; prioritize processed products, deep processing products, traditional products associated with indigenous cultures.

In fact, initially, before participating in the program, most of the subjects did not pay attention to the form, design, and image of the product. Most of the product consumers were regular customers, so market expansion encountered many difficulties.

In the process of building OCOP products, we have coordinated with consulting units for investors to upgrade production technology, focus on hygiene, food safety, and design to improve product quality and image. The subjects have had a new mindset in building product images in the market, thereby initially bringing the product to new markets.

Up to now, Yen Mo District has had 14 products recognized as OCOP products, including 8 3-star products and 6 4-star products. These are all typical products and specialties of Yen Mo such as: clay pot braised loach, Yen Mac sour sausage, Bo Bat pottery, egg rolls...

PV: In addition to product development, promoting and bringing products closer to consumers is also a very important link. So what solutions does the district have to connect and support output for the subjects?

Ms. Nguyen Thi Len: Right from the beginning of the program, the locality has identified the promotion and search for output markets for OCOP products as the key to the program's success. Because the production of goods must reach consumers, must be able to sell the goods to be truly effective. We have supported and guided the subjects through product stories, turning the products into typical local gifts. In addition, we have implemented a variety of trade promotion activities. In addition to creating conditions and encouraging subjects to participate in fairs inside and outside the province, we also promote the application of digital technology in communication, promote the development of e-commerce for OCOP products through e-commerce platforms, social networking applications such as Zalo, Facebook, etc.

Through trade promotion activities, Yen Mo OCOP products have gradually reached consumers, become known and used by consumers inside and outside the province as well as internationally, and have become gifts from Yen Mo people to give to visitors near and far.

PV: What is the locality's goal for the OCOP program in the coming period, sir?

Ms. Nguyen Thi Len: Yen Mo is an agricultural district. To increase the value of agricultural products, Yen Mo is gradually moving towards deep processing, orienting agricultural development according to the value chain. At the same time, developing specialty seedlings to serve tourism development. Therefore, developing OCOP products will be an important solution to develop agriculture and rural areas of the district. Although currently facing difficulties due to most of the production of small-scale products, production technology is not modern, awareness of many subjects about the role of the OCOP program is still limited, some products have been recognized as OCOP products but the subjects are passive, not proactive in promoting and introducing the products...

In the coming time, to develop Yen Mo's OCOP products, the District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will continue to coordinate with the People's Committees of communes and towns to orient agricultural development according to the value chain, continue to find quality specialty and characteristic products to advise and help develop into OCOP products.

It can be affirmed that Yen Mo district is very interested in the OCOP product program. In addition to the province's support policy for the subjects, the district also has a separate policy, supporting the subjects with recognized products with 50 million VND. With the above attention, encouragement, and support policies of the district, we believe that Yen Mo's OCOP product development program will develop more and more effectively.

PV: Thank you, comrade!

Nguyen Luu (performed)

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