Truck exporting fresh Ben Tre coconuts to the Chinese market. Photo: Cam Truc
From 5-star OCOP products
The “One Commune One Product” (OCOP) program plays an important role in rural economic development. In particular, specialties, products, craft village products and community tourism services. As the first locality to launch the OCOP program in the Mekong Delta, Ben Tre now has 316 OCOP products with 3 stars or more. Of which, there are 5 5-star OCOP products and 59 4-star products.
5-star OCOP products include: cocoa coconut candy, durian pandan coconut candy, ginger coconut candy, durian coconut candy (of Dong A General Production and Trading Company Limited) and frozen durian (of Chanh Thu Fruit Import-Export Company Limited).
The 5-star OCOP product is granted a national OCOP product certificate by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), and is allowed to use the national OCOP logo and stamp on packaging, labels, and product introduction and promotion documents according to regulations and is valid for 36 months from the date of recognition. At the same time, it is supported to continue perfecting the product, introducing and promoting trade in domestic and foreign markets.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Vo Tien Si said that recently, the Department has coordinated with localities to review and develop many plans to support the development of growing area codes and geographical indications to ensure traceability and food safety, as a basis for providing local raw material areas for OCOP products such as: coconut, grapefruit, rice, seedlings and ornamental flowers, specialty fruit trees, beef, shrimp... meeting export standards to markets such as the United States, New Zealand, Europe, China, Thailand...
In August 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the General Administration of Customs of China signed a Protocol on inspection, quarantine and food safety for frozen durian exported from Vietnam to China; Protocol on quarantine requirements for fresh coconut exported from Vietnam to China.
The official opening of the Chinese market for frozen durian and fresh coconut products not only helps reduce pressure on harvest season but also creates greater added value for agricultural products of the province in particular and Vietnam in general.
Following the good news, on September 23, 2024, the province's two green-skinned pomelo and green-skinned coconut products were officially granted protection certificates in the form of certification marks by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. These are "Ben Tre Pomelo & Device" for green-skinned pomelo and "Ben Tre Coconut & Device" for green-skinned coconut. This is an important step in enhancing the brand value of agricultural products of the province in particular and Vietnam in general in the international arena.
To the "billion dollar coconut tree"
2024 can be said to be the year of the coconut tree. Before that, in 2023, fresh Ben Tre coconuts were officially exported to the US market. Recently, coconut trees have been confirmed to play a significant role in the goal of combating climate change, with one hectare of coconut trees being able to absorb about 75 tons of CO2 per year.
According to the Vietnam Coconut Association, the Vietnamese coconut industry is entering a period of remarkable growth. From an export turnover of 280 million USD in 2010, the coconut industry has reached 1.64 billion USD in 2023. Vietnam is currently the 4th largest exporter of coconut products in the Asia-Pacific region and holds the 4th position in terms of total value on the international market.
Of which, Ben Tre province accounts for more than 40% of the country's coconut growing area. The coconut processing industry in the province has consumed about 85.7% of the total coconut harvested in the province. The province's coconut products are now present in the markets of more than 90 countries and territories. The value of coconut processing production in 2023 reached 3,750 billion VND. Coconut export turnover has reached nearly half a billion USD.
Ben Tre Import-Export Joint Stock Company (Betrimex) is the leading coconut enterprise in the province, ranked in the top 6 largest coconut producers in the world. Ms. Dang Huynh Uc My - Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Betrimex said: "Betrimex is committed to pioneering in expanding cooperation, accompanying relevant parties to deeply exploit the coconut value chain, making coconut products become a symbol of Asia and a typical industry of the century".
The export value of the coconut industry is increasing rapidly due to the high demand for coconut products in the world. However, compared to some countries in the region, the Vietnamese coconut industry is quite young, so there is still a lot of room for development. "Vietnam in general and Ben Tre in particular need to develop drought-resistant coconut varieties and apply sustainable harvesting techniques to respond to climate change. Developing farm tours and workshops on making handicrafts from coconuts also helps promote rural tourism and increase economic value. In particular, it is important to focus on utilizing by-products from coconut trees," said Vice President of the International Coconut Community - Nuwan Chinthaka, suggesting solutions for developing the coconut industry (in a forum on the coconut industry held in the province in December 2024).
“The certificates of geographical indications and certification marks for agricultural products of Ben Tre province are intellectual properties, and are also effective legal tools to not only prevent infringements but also create the premise for the province's agricultural products to be called "BEN TRE" when reaching out globally”. Associate Professor, Dr. Lam Van Tan - Director of the Department of Science and Technology of Ben Tre province.
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