Driving force for economic development in agricultural and rural areas

Thanks to the effective implementation of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program, Bac Giang has achieved some outstanding results, especially contributing to increasing farmers' income and promoting the process of hunger eradication and poverty reduction.

Bac Giang people make Chu noodles. (Source: Labor)

Increase the value of products and goods

Based on the great premises and advantages of Bac Giang province, in recent years, with the participation of all levels, sectors, and political systems, the OCOP Program implemented in the province has demonstrated its appropriate orientation and policies to promote the strengths of natural conditions, cultural identity, arouse agricultural production potential, impact on socio-economic development in rural areas, associated with new rural construction.

Up to now, Bac Giang province has 253 OCOP products. Of which, there are 33 4-star products, 220 3-star products (of which 29 products have been evaluated, re-classified and upgraded).

Regarding the number of products in each locality, as of August 2023, 10/10 districts and cities have OCOP products recognized. The most is Luc Ngan with 40 products (10 4-star products; 30 3-star products); the lowest is Son Dong district with 7 recognized products (7 3-star products).

The recognized OCOP products are mostly products with production characteristics of traditional craft villages such as: Chu noodles; Chau Son noodles; Van wine; Da Mai vermicelli... or Yen The hill chicken; Luc Ngan lychee; Phuc Hoa early lychee; Hop Duc star apple, Tay Yen Tu honey, golden flower tea, cordyceps...

OCOP certified products all have clear evidence of quality and origin. Many products apply advanced and quality production processes such as: ISO 22000; HACCP; VietGAP; Global GAP... This is the driving force to promote the development of the agricultural and rural economy in an endogenous direction and increase the value of products and goods.

The story of Yen The hill chicken development contributing to hunger eradication and poverty reduction in the mountainous district of Yen The is the most typical example. Along with tea, Yen The hill chicken is identified by the district as one of the key products of the locality. From the poverty reduction programs and projects implemented in the district, many effective chicken farming models have emerged.

The model of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Quy's family in Tan Ky village, Dong Tam commune is proof of this. Mr. Quy said that participating in the Yen The hill chicken farming development project not only contributes to poverty reduction but also helps people get rich. His family alone supplies the market with 10-15 thousand commercial chickens every year. With the current selling price, he earns over 500 million VND in profit each year.

For many years, Bac Giang has formed concentrated hill chicken farming areas on a large scale, with quality constantly improved. The Yen The Hill Chicken certification mark has been protected by industrial property in 3 countries: China, Laos and Singapore.

In 2022, the Vietnam Record Association recognized Yen The Hill Chicken as a dish selected in the Top 100 Vietnamese specialties (2021-2022).

At the same time, some of Bac Giang province's strong OCOP products such as Luc Ngan litchi and Phuc Hoa early litchi have been exported to markets with high quality requirements such as the US, the European Union (EU), Japan, and Australia. Some products are exported in the form of processing or through a third party such as: Chu Green noodles to Japan; dried litchi to the Middle East market.

Developing Yen The hill chickens helps people eliminate hunger and reduce poverty. (Source: Agriculture Newspaper)

Continue to develop and spread the OCOP Program

In order to develop and spread the OCOP Program throughout the province, in recent years, Bac Giang province has increased training support to raise awareness for program participants. At the same time, it has supported over 100 cooperatives, enterprises, and entities with over 300 OCOP products to participate in trade fairs and exhibitions in provinces such as Quang Ninh, Lao Cai, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Hoa Binh... and a number of OCOP product introduction and promotion points in districts, large supermarkets and e-commerce platforms.

The province has also applied various mechanisms and policies to support producers in supplementing other contents on quality, packaging, and labeling, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the OCOP product classification criteria. Thereby promoting production, creating conditions and motivation for producers to boldly invest and develop local advantageous products. Guiding producers to develop local products with pride in their homeland and native land.

Not only that, Bac Giang continues to consolidate and develop forms of production and business organization, prioritizing the development of cooperatives and small and medium enterprises to produce products and services with advantages and competitiveness in the direction of production linkage.

In particular, promoting the inherent advantage of a locality with great potential for socio-economic development with 27 craft villages recognized by the Provincial People's Committee, nearly 60 key, typical, potential products and hundreds of local products. The province focuses on developing typical, potential products; products with comparative advantages, craft village products associated with tourism. Developing diverse goods and services in the direction of improving quality, bringing the OCOP program into depth, increasing great value, high competitiveness and export potential.

Bac Giang strives to have 350-400 OCOP products in the province by 2030; of which, about 3-5 are 5-star products; 50-60 are 4-star products, the rest are 3-star products. At the same time, develop 2-3 more OCOP products that reach the national 5-star level, products that score 90-100 points, have high quality, and meet international standards.

To achieve this goal, Mr. Nguyen Thai Truong, Deputy Head of the Department of Rural Development of Bac Giang province, said that in the coming time, the province will continue to promote and raise awareness for the whole society to understand the purpose and meaning of the program. This is considered a key task in implementing new rural construction and restructuring agricultural production in the locality.

At the same time, develop OCOP products, craft village products associated with tourism. Strengthen activities to support subjects in developing and perfecting products. Strengthen trade promotion activities, advertise and introduce OCOP products. Build product introduction and sales points in districts and cities.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/san-pham-ocop-bac-giang-dong-luc-thuc-day-kinh-te-khu-vuc-nong-nghiep-nong-thon-243207.html