Son Tay develops OCOP products of craft villages

By encouraging production households, cooperatives, cooperatives, and enterprises with products to participate in the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program and prioritizing the development of products from traditional craft villages, Son Tay town has so far developed more than 100 OCOP products of all kinds.

This method contributes to opening up opportunities for career development, expanding consumer markets, and increasing income for producers.

Phu Nhi rice cake production in Phu Thinh ward (Son Tay town). Photo: Nguyen Quang

Many featured products

Phu Nhi rice cake of Son Tay town is a rustic, friendly gift and a typical cultural feature of the people of the prosperous ancient village along the Red River. Many people choose to buy the cake as a gift for relatives and friends on every festival, New Year, and spring. Rice cake is made from familiar ingredients such as rice, pork, wood ear, dried onion... However, to have delicious cakes, it requires experience, skill, and meticulousness of the craftsman.

Continuing and promoting the tradition of the craft village, the production facilities of Hung Van banh te (Nguyen Xuan Hung business household) and Thanh Binh (Pham Thi Binh business household), both in Phu Thinh ward, specialize in providing the market with quality banh te.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hung shared that the process of making banh te requires meticulousness and sophistication, from soaking rice, stirring flour, making filling, wrapping, steaming the cake, to the finished product. The raw materials for making banh te are delicious rice, the filling is pork belly and carefully selected spices. The leaves used to wrap the cake are fresh wild dong leaves, dry and flexible banana leaves and must ensure hygiene and food safety.

To further improve product quality, in 2020 and 2021, Hung Van and Thanh Binh rice cake production facilities participated in the OCOP Program and both achieved 4-star OCOP products. Thanks to that, the amount of products consumed increased 2-3 times.

Ms. Pham Thi Binh said that the facility creates jobs for about 20 regular and seasonal workers with an income of 200,000 to 250,000 VND/person/day. According to regulations, the facility's OCOP products have expired, so in 2024, the facility registered to participate in re-evaluation. Determined to maintain the 4-star rating, the facility has invested in production machinery and equipment, imported raw materials with traceable origins, printed labels, improved product quality, and met market demand.

In Duong Lam ancient village, visitors can enjoy traditional dishes with rich ancient flavors. The highlight is the braised grass carp dish, which has been preserved and passed down through many generations by the people of Duong Lam.

Mr. Khuat Van Thang (owner of Duong Lam Village Kitchen) shared that the grass carp is braised according to his family's own recipe. In 2023, the facility's "braised grass carp in clay pot" product achieved 3-star OCOP. After achieving 3-star OCOP product, the facility's "braised grass carp in clay pot" consumption increased sharply. In 2024, the facility registered its Che Lam cake product to participate in the OCOP Program and plans to continue registering to participate in 2025 for its glass bottled star fruit juice product.

Chairman of Duong Lam Commune People's Committee Pham Thi Le Thuy said that from 2019 to now, the commune has 9 products: peanut candy, stuffed candy, brown rice, white sesame, black sesame, sugarcane chicken, braised grass carp of 4 entities participating in the OCOP Program and all achieved 3 stars. Duong Lam Commune always encourages entities with local specialty products to register to participate in the OCOP Program and introduce them to tourists visiting the ancient village, contributing to expanding the consumption market and increasing income for people.

Brand recognition support

Deputy Head of the Economic Department of Son Tay Town Bui Hong Ha informed that the town currently has 103 products achieving 3-star and 4-star OCOP; of which 34 products have expired certification, the town is propagating and mobilizing subjects to complete the dossier for re-evaluation. In 2024, the town has 21 products participating in the OCOP Program, which will be evaluated and classified in early December, of which 10 products will be re-evaluated.

From the obvious effectiveness of products participating in the OCOP Program, Vice Chairman of Son Tay Town People's Committee Phung Huy Vinh said that the town has been actively promoting and encouraging organizations and individuals to develop new products, especially in the fields of tourism and community services, in order to diversify products, promote advantages in natural conditions, cultural values, history, craft villages, and traditional craft villages. In the model new rural commune of Kim Son, the town has supported the construction of community tourism services in Long Ho village, completing related procedures to propose the city to recognize it as a 4-star OCOP product in the product group "Community services and tourism".

For entities with products participating in the OCOP Program, the town will continue to advise, guide the development and registration of trademark protection, design of leaflets, models, packaging, printing of OCOP certification stamps, etc. Products that have been recognized as meeting OCOP standards will be supported by the town in trade promotion, in the following forms: Introduction on mass media; support for participation in fairs, exhibitions to introduce and display OCOP products in and outside the city; support for billboards, identification at display and sale points of OCOP products in the town so that tourists and consumers know, helping to expand the consumption market and increase the added value of the products.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/son-tay-phat-trien-san-pham-ocop-lang-nghe-685912.html