Chi Lang: Improving product value from the OCOP (One Commune One Product) program

(LSO) – In recent years, Chi Lang district has focused on directing and implementing the “One Commune One Product” (OCOP) program in order to form concentrated production areas and build product brands. After nearly two years of implementation, the program has achieved initial results, Chi Lang has become one of the districts with the most certified and ranked OCOP products in the province.

Mrs. Trieu Thi Son’s family, Dong Thanh village, Van Linh commune started making dried noodles in 2016. To build the brand and expand consumer markets, in 2019, her family registered to build OCOP products for dried noodle product which is certified to meet 3-star provincial standards, standards for safe products and have packaging, labels, and traceability stamps.

Mrs. Son said that after receiving the 3-star OCOP certification, the product has been more popular, with customers’ trust, consumer markets have been expanded to provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Bac Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong and so on. Thanks to that, the output of dried noodles from early 2020 up to now have been over 220 thousand bundles, with the selling price from 1,800-2,000 VND/bundle, giving the family an income of over 200 million VND, nearly doubling that of 2019. In addition, the family has also linked with many clean agricultural product stores in Chi Lang district and in Lang Son city to sell products. Currently, the family is planning to link with seven other households in the village to make dried noodles with a view to improving production efficiency and meeting market demand.

People in Van Linh commune, Chi Lang district are producing dried noodles

Since 2019, when the province started implementing Lang Son “One Commune One Product” program in the 2019 – 2020 period, Chi Lang district has issued a plan to implement the OCOP program in communes and townships.

In order to implement the program, products must meet the requirements of the market, suit the tastes of consumers, ensure quality and regulations on safety for consumers’ health. In addition, products must have names, labels, origin of goods according to regulations, fixed prices and so on. Therefore, it requires people to pay attention to product quality, production processes.

Therefore, along with the propaganda, the district has mobilized people to comply with food safety regulations, deploy many models of producing products according to VietGAP standards, organic standards and so on; directing communes and townships to organize training on methods of management, business and product development strategies for cooperatives and production households. From 2019 up to now, the District Division of Agriculture and Rural Development has organized two training courses on the OCOP program for more than 160 officials in communes, townships, household groups and cooperatives.

Mrs. Dam Thi Ngoc Thuy, Director of Dong Mo Agricultural Production and Service Cooperative, Dong Mo township, said that the cooperative was established in 2017 with 85 members, the custard apple production area is 48.62 ha. Previously, the cooperative produced according to VietGAP standards, until September 2020, the thick flesh layer custard apple product was recognized as 4-star OCOP, so the selling price is always 10 to 20 thousand VND/kg higher than the price of  custard apples produced elsewhere.

Since its implementation up to now, in the district, there are five products of four communes and townships certified for OCOP products. In which, three products reach 3 stars (Van Linh dried noodles, Hong Nhung organic turmeric starch, and Bò Khai vegetable in Dong Mo township); two 4-star products (thick flesh layer custard apples of Dong Mo township, thick flesh layer custard apples of Chi Lang commune). Currently, the district is completing the OCOP registration dossier for Van Thuy commune’s honey products.

Mr. Luong Thanh Chung, Head of Chi Lang District Division of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that OCOP program is an effective solution to create added value for agricultural products, promoting economic restructuring. Since then, the economic efficiency of products has been improved markedly, gradually forming concentrated production areas, contributing to improving people’s lives. For the program to be effective, they have actively propagated the program’s significance and effectiveness to cooperatives and households; focusing on identifying the right potentials and advantages of regions creating commodity products, focusing on quality improvement, production stages, ensuring safety to meet a set of criteria of OCOP products and so on. From there, communes are consulted, guided to register, make dossiers to build OCOP products, opening up opportunities for people to participate in production chains, improving the value of agricultural products.