High-quality products

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program has had a positive impact on provinces and cities in the Mekong Delta.

The OCOP program was initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2008, based on Japan’s “One Village, One Product” and Thailand’s “One Town, One Product” programs. It is an economic development program for rural areas and forms part of the national target program on new-style rural area building.

Mekong Delta provinces have 1,276 OCOP products certified at 3-5-star level, accounting for 17.1 percent of the country’s total, of which, 66.8 percent are 3-star, 30.6 percent are 4-star and 2.4 percent are 5-star products. Three of the certified products have been recognized as national-level OCOP products.

Since the OCOP program was implemented in Dong Thap Province three years ago, OCOP products have been constantly developed in terms of quantity and quality. So far, 265 of its OCOP products have been recognized as 4-star and 3-star products. Four of the 61 4-star products have been presented for national recognition and 5-star certification.

The city of Can Tho recently assessed 15 OCOP products of seven producers, granting them 4-star recognition. The products include fish paste products of the Pham Nghia Food Company, Rong Vang purple rice of Duy Duc Hung Company, two tea products – one from red bean and brown rice and another made from five kinds of bean – of Thuan Hoa Production Establishment.

According to Nguyen Ngoc He, Vice Chair of the Can Tho City People's Committee, OCOP products have become familiar to both domestic and foreign consumers, and stronger sales will help create jobs for local workers. OCOP product manufacturers can contact provincial and city departments of science and technology, departments of industry and trade, and departments of agriculture and rural development for support for OCOP product promotion and preservation.

Branding and trade promotion

Many OCOP product brands of Mekong Delta provinces have won the trust of domestic and foreign consumers. Mekong Delta provinces are focusing on developing OCOP products in accordance with quality standards and regulations on product codes, barcodes, traceability stamps, intellectual property certification, labelling, branding, design, and packaging, among others, seeking greater domestic and foreign market access.

Mekong Delta provinces attach importance to branding development and quality improvement of rural products

The provinces have been strengthening trade promotion for different provincial products, enabling them to access such big supermarket systems as Co.op Mart, Big C, WinMart, Bach Hoa Xanh, Tu Son, Annam Gourmart Market, and Vissan retail stores, among others.

Many products by regional enterprises, cooperatives and production facilities are sold through prestigious e-commerce platforms including Voso, Postmart, Lazada, Shopee, and Sendo. Mekong Delta localities’ departments of industry and trade are working with relevant authorities and organizations to develop a 2022 plan for e-commerce development of enterprises, cooperatives and other production facilities.

Mekong Delta provinces have opened trade and tourism promotion centers in the capital Hanoi and on Kien Giang Province’s Phu Quoc Island.

Tran Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the OCOP program in Mekong Delta provinces and cities has contributed to rural economic development, improving people’s incomes, product branding and market development.

Thanh Thanh