Giving a "new look" to Tra Vinh's waxy coconuts.

With the desire to give her hometown's waxy coconuts a more beautiful "new look," Ms. Lam Ngoc Tu (born in 1989) and her partner created the Vicosap waxy coconut product.

+ We understand that Vicosap wax coconut is a relatively new product on the market. Could you tell us where the idea came from?

My husband is a native of Cau Ke, Thanh Phu, Tra Vinh . Although he left his hometown to pursue his career at the age of 18, he still remembers the warm and welcoming land of Tra Vinh and never stops yearning to return and contribute to building a more beautiful and prosperous homeland.

He often feels a pang of nostalgia when he looks back at his hometown's specialty – the Cầu Kè waxy coconut, which is only sold along the roadside, simple and unpretentious like the people of the countryside who endure the rain and sun year-round. This is a rare type of solid-flesh coconut with high nutritional and economic value.

Furthermore, coconut farmers in Cau Ke have precarious and unstable lives, lacking a stable income from this very rare fruit. Understanding my husband's concerns, I decided to quit my job and return to our hometown to establish Cau Ke Coconut Processing Company Limited (Vicosap) with him.

How are waxy coconut products created?

In July 2020, Vicosap was established under challenging conditions regarding resources, electricity, and water. Everything was scarce because Thanh Phu is one of the remote and isolated communes of Tra Vinh province. The factory was built on land reclaimed from the family's own property, covering an area of ​​500 square meters, with an initial investment of over 500 million VND, secured by a bank loan.

Of that amount, over 200 million VND was invested in building a factory with a management process conforming to ISO 22000 standards, while the remainder was used to purchase raw materials, used machinery and equipment, and to invest in research and development of technology and product processing.

Established right during the Covid-19 pandemic, the pressure of loan capital and low production productivity due to outdated or frequently malfunctioning equipment were the main factors that caused the business to suffer losses in 2020.

So, how did you overcome the difficulties to build such a solid foundation as you have today?

In December 2020, Vicosap participated in the Tra Vinh Province Innovative Startup Ideas Competition with the topic "Enhancing the Value of Tra Vinh's Waxy Coconut Specialty" and won first prize. This award marked the first step, full of effort and hope, in my and my wife's journey to "give a new look" to the Cau Ke waxy coconut.

With the attention, support, and assistance, both spiritual and material, from government and local leaders at all levels, Vicosap has had the opportunity to receive a lot of information about support policies from the central and local governments.

We received advice and training on skills and policies related to the production and business of the food processing industry… At the same time, we received support in upgrading our equipment and machinery.

This is a crucial step in modernizing production and processing procedures, enhancing business capabilities, and expanding distribution channels and product markets, enabling Vicosap to overcome its initial difficulties.

+ I understand you have many products that have achieved OCOP (One Commune One Product) certification?

In March 2021, Vicosap's efforts were recognized when all five of its products received OCOP 4-star certification at the provincial level. This certification grants Vicosap access to preferential government policies for businesses with OCOP-certified products.

In 2021, Vicosap successfully conquered the demanding Japanese market for the first time, opening up a promising new direction for the waxy coconut agricultural product of Cau Ke region. In 2022, products made from waxy coconuts were exported to the UK and the US.

In 2023, the product received the Certificate of Outstanding OCOP Product of the Mekong Delta region.

I am happier that I can now create jobs for 17 full-time employees (over 80% female) and more than 10 seasonal workers, mostly local women.

At the same time, we have also partially solved the problem of finding markets for waxy coconut farmers, helping them improve their income and living standards.

Thank you!

Contact: Ms. Lam Ngoc Tu, Deputy Director of Cau Ke Wax Coconut Processing Co., Ltd.

Address: 253/5, Hamlet 2, Thanh Phu Commune, Cau Ke District, Tra Vinh Province

Phone: 0906.991220 Website: www.duasapvicosap.com

Product prices start from 25,000 VND.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/khoac-ao-moi-cho-dua-sap-tra-vinh-20240508150000991.htm