Tien Hai district (Thai Binh province): Raising the level of OCOP products

Building OCOP products, contributing to creating jobs for rural laborers

Mr. Do Thanh Trung, Vice Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Office of Tien Hai district, said: The implementation of OCOP program is a solution to promote the rural economy in the direction of promoting internal force and increasing product value, creating jobs for local laborers. OCOP star rating is a measure of the quality and competitiveness of products in the market and the potential for product development towards exported goods. Therefore, the upgrade of OCOP products is concerned by the subjects. Currently, the evaluation and recognition of OCOP products will be decentralized to the district-level People’s Committee to evaluate and recognize 3-star OCOP products; the Provincial People’s Committee evaluates and recognizes 4-star OCOP products; the central government evaluates and recognizes 5-star OCOP products (national level OCOP products). In 2023, Tien Hai district is proposing to upgrade 1 4-star OCOP product to 5-star one which is a sedge product of Tay An Handicraft Wares Production and Import Export Company Limited and 1 garden chicken product reaching 4 stars of Dong Xuyen General Breeding Cooperative.

As one of the enterprises producing sedge products to participate in OCOP program, Tay An Handicraft Wares Production and Import Export Company Limited always focuses on investing and innovating product designs. In 2020, the sedge product of the Company was one of 17 products of Thai Binh achieving 4-star rating.

Ms. Pham Thi Ngan, Director of the Company said: I founded the Company with the desire to develop traditional vocation of the locality and create stable jobs for rural laborers. During the production and business process, I have tried to overcome many difficulties; learn, research the market, invest in technology and equipment… Currently, the Company creates on-site jobs for 40 – 50 laborers at the workshop and 3,000 laborers working in localities in the province with an income of 3 – 6 million VND/person/month. From the beginning of 2023 until now, on average each month the Company produces 200,000 – 300,000 products, the revenue in the first 9 months of the year reached more than VND 50 billion. To raise the level of the brand name and promote export to large, potential markets, the Company is trying to upgrade its products to 5 stars. Since then, the Company focuses on the targets to achieve a 5-star rating: The product has a high sense of community, uses 100% of raw materials in the province; mainly employ local laborers; build a production chain linked to consumption… In 2023, the Company strives to improve technology and product designs to create sophisticated and unique items. In particular, the Company has been proactive on raw material sources, application of information technology in trade promotion on digital platforms, adapting to the strict requirements of the European and American markets.

Thanks to the initiative of the subjects, products meeting OCOP standards in Tien Hai all are maintained the conditions of design, product quality as well as the set criteria. Most of the products have increased the consumption output and are highly appreciated by customers.

Mr. Bui Van Khai, Seafood Production and Processing Company Limited No. 06 (Nam Cuong commune) shared: Having inherited the profession from our ancestors, my family members and I strived to bring traditional fish sauce products to meet OCOP 3-star standard in 2021. Currently, the Company has 33 tanks, on average each tank will produce about 1,000 liters of fish sauce/year. With the selling price of fish sauce of type 1 being 150,000 VND/liter, fish sauce of type 2 being 100,000 VND/liter, the Company’s average income is about 2 billion VND/year. In the coming time, to develop the brand name of Tien Chau fish sauce, bring the product to far distance and dominate the market, I have registered to upgrade the OCOP 3-star product to 4-star one. Accordingly, the Company’s fish sauce products are completing the conditions for organic recognition, food safety and hygiene, labeling…

Determining the OCOP program as one of the solutions to increase product value, in 2023 Tien Hai district has 22 products from 18 communes registered to develop OCOP products, contributing to increasing production value in the first 9 months of the year to more than VND 17,500 billion, in which the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors are estimated to reach nearly VND 3,800 billion, increasing by 2.58%.

Mr. Do Thanh Trung, Vice Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Office of the District, added: Upgrading OCOP products is a mandatory condition, when the deadline is 36 months from the date of recognition, if the subject does not comply, it will be revoked the certificate. To improve the quality of OCOP products, the district always pays attention to, creates conditions for, and guides OCOP product owners to plan and organize the production and business development to ensure efficiency; expand production links along the value chain; improve output product quality, improve labels, designs, and packaging. Supporting expenditure for introducing key products… Striving by 2025, Tien Hai will have over 50% of communes meeting advanced new rural standards, 2 or more communes meeting model new rural standards. The average income will reach 76 million VND/person/year.

Tien Chau fish sauce product, Seafood Production and Processing Company Limited No. 6 was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product.

Thai Binh Portal – english.thaibinh.gov.vn