“OCOP VINH LONG” with strong local identity

Many support solutions help products of the "One Commune One Product" program reach closer to consumers and increase income for the subjects.

In order to specify the Government's policy, the People's Committee of Vinh Long province approved the "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) program in 2018. In 2019, the program started and has achieved many results so far.

Improve OCOP product quality

Specifically, when implementing the OCOP program, all levels and sectors have promoted it in many forms, thereby attracting many production establishments, cooperatives and enterprises to participate. Up to now, the whole province has 254 OCOP products with 3 stars or more (including 59 OCOP products with 4 stars and 35 products approved by the expert council to meet 4-star standards), reaching 169% of the plan for the whole period of 2021 - 2025.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh , Mr. Bui Van Nghiem - Secretary of Vinh Long Provincial Party Committee (second from left), Mr. Lu Quang Ngoi - Chairman of Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee (far left) - visit the booth displaying OCOP products at a conference.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vinh Long province, the OCOP program has created positive changes in the province's rural economic development - not only as a driving force for production but also as a close link between stages in the value chain, from production to product consumption.

The highlight of the program is that it has contributed to changing the production mindset of local people. From traditional production methods, many farming households have boldly applied science and technology, innovation and creativity in the production process. Many local youths have also been encouraged to start businesses, creating unique products with strong local identity.

Through the program, the province’s agricultural products have been continuously improved in quality and value. The diversity and abundance of OCOP products have contributed to promoting the image and brand of the locality; at the same time creating a stable source of income for the people. This not only promotes economic development but also ensures sustainability in rural development of Vinh Long province.

Mr. Lam Hoang Chi, owner of Thien An 3 business (Thanh Duc commune, Long Ho district), has a yellow dragon fruit product that was certified with 3-star OCOP at the end of 2022. He said that with active support from the provincial government, he had the opportunity to participate in many trade promotion fairs both inside and outside the locality. These events have opened up valuable opportunities for him to approach many potential partners, while helping to widely promote the product to many new customers.

“Through trade promotion activities, I proactively researched market demand, built relationships with distribution partners and potential customers. As a result, sales increased significantly, expanding the consumer market and building brand reputation in the market. It can be said that the province's support in facilitating participation in fairs has contributed significantly to my business development,” Chi confided.

Mr. Huynh Van Cap (residing in Dong Thanh commune, Binh Minh town) was the first person to successfully research the technique of processing sweet pomelo trees to flower and bear fruit in the off-season. He is also a pioneer in developing sweet pomelo varieties locally by establishing the Dong Thanh Commune Sweet Pomelo Cooperative. Mr. Cap revealed: “The cooperative’s sweet pomelos are 4-star OCOP products. Thanks to the support of the locality, all the output of each crop is consumed by supermarkets at a fairly high price, bringing stable income to the cooperative members.”

Effective and sustainable development

Mr. Lu Quang Ngoi, Chairman of Vinh Long Provincial People's Committee, said that in order for the OCOP product brand to develop effectively, sustainably and meet the current market requirements, Vinh Long has proposed many solutions. In particular, the province has increased promotion, introduction and connection for consumption of OCOP products through domestic supermarket systems, participating in e-commerce platforms, contributing to increasing the value of OCOP products of people in the market.

In addition, to quickly turn agricultural products into a strong commodity of the province, contributing to the development of agricultural tourism, the province has had policies and strategies focusing on encouraging and supporting the development of OCOP products, including policies to support the improvement of production and business capacity, management capacity, brand building, market access support and trade promotion. Market search for OCOP products is integrated with industrial promotion programs, rural industry development programs, small-scale industry and craft village development, and trade promotion programs.

In addition, the province continues to focus on developing products according to the value chain based on the strengths of raw materials and culture such as: craft village products, potential products associated with advantages in production conditions, local cultural values, so that OCOP products soon become commodity products that meet the needs of consumers in and outside the province and aim for export.

At the same time, strengthen the management, inspection and supervision of the implementation of the OCOP program, contributing to spreading the unique brand of local OCOP products.

Products that are noticed by the market

Many 4-star OCOP products of Vinh Long are popular in the market such as: 6 Ri freeze-dried jackfruit, Binh Minh melon, My Hoa Nam Roi grapefruit, Gingo instant ginger honey tea, Western crispy dried sweet potatoes, Modica bitter melon ginger tea bags, Somo Farm Cuu Long tourist destination, Sau Thanh dry noodles...

In addition, the province's 3-star OCOP products are also sought after by many people, such as Thanh Thao dumplings, Thuan Duyen tamarind fish sauce, Nhu Y sausage, Nhat Ngoc dried grapefruit peel, Vinh Nghiep salted duck eggs, Vinh Quang jelly, Co Ba Giang five-color sticky rice cake, etc.