The Dong Trieu custard apple is an OCOP product of Quang Ninh province (Photo: VNA) During the period, it is setto develop 300 new OCOP products, at least 250 of which will be rated three to five stars, with the participation of at least 50 economic organisations.
Between 2017 and 2020, thelocal OCOP programme had its focus switched from quantity to quality as morethan 200 products were rated three to five stars, which is said to have helpedimprove rural residents’ living conditions and contributed to the building ofnew-style rural areas, the Nong nghiep Vietnam (Agriculture of Vietnam)newspaper reported.
Quang Ninh, one of the threenuclei of the northern key economic region, has implemented the OCOP programmesince 2013, and it is now taking the lead nationwide in this regard.
The local programme entered anew phase in 2017 with the aim of developing large-scale concentratedproduction, which focuses on diversifying and intensively processing productsunder value chains in order to increase benefits for the local community.
The collective and privateeconomic sectors were identified as important driving forces for thisprogramme.
At present, Quang Ninh has456 items in the OCOP programme, 236 of which have been granted ratings ofthree to five stars. To be given star ratings, those products have met basic, evenadvanced, standards, been made in modern and professional manufacturingprocesses, and had their packages and labels perfected.
OCOP products have generatedan average of 500 billion - 700 billion VND (22 -million - 31 million USD) inannual revenue for the province.
Achievements in the OCOPprogramme have substantially contributed to the building of new-stylecountryside, which is a national target programme, in Quang Ninh.
As a result, per capitaincome in local rural areas rose to 47 million VND in 2020 from 10.5 millionVND in 2010.
Quang Ninhhas set a goal to have modern industry and service sectors and become one ofthe region’s comprehensive and dynamic development hubs by 2025. The province looksto raise its gross regional domestic product (GRDP) by 10 percent on an annualaverage during 2020 - 2025, and the per capita GRDP to over 10,000 USD by2025. The urbanisation rate is expected to surpass 75 percent, while the rateof poor households to go down to below 1 percent.
Theprovince plans to complete the new-style rural area building by the end of 2030.
The OCOPwas initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2008,based on Japan’s “One Village, One Product” and Thailand’s “One Tambon, OneProduct” programmes. It is an economic development programme for rural areasand focuses on increasing internal power and values, and is also to help withthe national target programme on new-style rural area building.
Vietnam verified, rated, and recognised a total of 3,200products as OCOP goods last year, 800 higher than planned, according to theMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
OCOP products are produced basing on the combination of localresources, traditional culture, and advanced technology, thus promoting productdiversification, quality, packaging, and origin traceability.
The programme has provided farmers with the chance to cometogether to form cooperatives, which now account for 38 percent of 1,400 OCOPproducers nationwide. The establishment of these cooperatives has in turn enabledfarmers to create goods with better quality, design, and packaging that meethigher standards and match market demand./.
VNA
