Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu: OCOP products contribute to improving rural livelihoods

DNHN - In 2024, 52 OCOP products were certified, bringing the total number of OCOP products in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu province to 145, all rated 3 stars or higher.

Agricultural sector showed solid growth

According to the report from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu province, agriculture, farmers, and rural areas play an important role in the economic development of the province. Over the years, the agricultural sector has maintained high growth rates. In 2023, the total production value of the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors exceeded 20.3 trillion VND, an increase of 4.05% compared to 2022.

The implementation of the National Target Program on New Rural Development has yielded positive results, with 47 out of 47 communes meeting the income criteria of about 65 million VND per person. By the end of 2023, the entire province no longer had any poor households under the national standard;...

As of the end of 2023, the province had 130 agricultural cooperatives, an increase of 15% compared to 2022, with more than 3,500 members and over 2,000 regular workers employed by the cooperatives. The average revenue of efficient cooperatives was 5.9 billion VND per year, up 0.9 billion VND per year compared to 2022. The average profit of efficient cooperatives ranged from 130 million to 2.5 billion VND per year. The average income of regular workers at efficient cooperatives in 2023 was 60 million VND per year.

Agricultural cooperatives in the province have demonstrated their role in supporting and promoting production, creating jobs for rural workers, and helping stabilize the income of workers in the cooperatives. Joint ventures and alliances for the sale of agricultural products for members and farmers have contributed to completing the new rural development and the socio-economic development of the locality and the province.

OCOP products targeted as tourist gifts

OCOP products in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu are all produced according to ISO, VietGAP standards, ensuring food safety, and certified with HACCP, VietGAP, product traceability, and diverse packaging and designs. The raw material supply areas are concentrated in rural areas. Moreover, OCOP product categories mainly focus on food, medicinal herbs, beverages, and handicrafts, making them a popular choice for tourist gifts.

As part of the strategy to bring OCOP products closer to tourists, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu continues to promote and market OCOP products in conjunction with tourism development. Efforts are being made to enhance service quality and encourage tourism service businesses to introduce OCOP products into tourism packages. Additionally, connections are being strengthened with tourism programs and routes that bring tourists to visit and shop at OCOP product stores and display points in the area.

Recently, many local businesses have formed models that connect regions, exploiting the strengths of the OCOP program and have featured rural industrial products to create more points of interest, experiences, and shopping for tourists.

For example, Châu Đức District organizes and maintains many activities at multiple OCOP product display and sales points, such as at Dragon Land Tourism Area, in Suối Rao, Bình Ba, and TT. Ngãi Giao... Long Điền District has established the House for Introducing and Displaying OCOP Products, Featured Rural Industrial Products at the Long Điền District Cultural, Sports, and Information Center (KP. Long Phượng, TT. Long Điền, Long Điền District).

Many OCOP products at localities assert their brand

After 4 years of implementing the OCOP program, Châu Đức District has 43 OCOP products rated 3 stars or higher, including 24 four-star products and 19 three-star products, among which are products from the district's main agricultural produce like pepper, coffee, cocoa, cashew nuts, processed products from pork, chicken, and other agricultural products (mushrooms, bananas, honey).

A young entrepreneur starting his business in his hometown, Mr. Trần Tài - Director of Vietnam Biological Mushroom Co., Ltd (in Châu Đức District), holds a master's degree in Biotechnology and studied mushroom technology in Japan. He applied his knowledge and research in edible and medicinal mushrooms to the production of cordyceps mushrooms. He invested in a closed-loop production system and applied high-tech, automated processes throughout the production to ensure quality and enhance product output. Through diligence, learning, and research, his company has successfully developed a two-layer mushroom strain shaker, resulting in remarkable efficiency.

Mr. Trần Tài shared: "I studied Biotechnology at the University of Industrial Technology in HCMC and earned a master's degree in Biotechnology from the University of Natural Sciences HCMC. I love this field, so I invested a lot of time and effort into research, breeding high-quality cordyceps mushrooms, and applying them to production to create many valuable products. Vinabiomush products are now widely accepted in the market."

In Xuyên Mộc District, all 12 communes in the district have OCOP products rated from 3 to 4 stars, totaling 26 products (including 10 three-star products and 16 four-star products) from 15 entities including businesses, households, companies, cooperatives, and partnerships.

Based on the development potential of the products from the communes and towns, the district selected several key products to upgrade and develop in 2023 to meet 3-4 star standards, as well as products planned to participate in the OCOP program in 2024, such as: Deer Velvet Honey from Ba Long Deer Farm; Nhãn Xuồng Golden from Nhân Tâm Agricultural Service Cooperative; Pure Turmeric Honey Tablets from Thuần Dương Agricultural and Medicinal Service Trading Import-Export Co., Ltd; Black Glutinous Rice Wine from Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Yến's facility; Ánh Phương Fish Sauce from Ánh Phương Fish Sauce Co., Ltd.

Mr. Trần Văn Dững, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Xuyên Mộc District, said: "Every year, the district People's Committee develops plans to implement the 'One Commune, One Product - OCOP' program to develop production and business models for traditional products that have advantages in rural areas, contributing to the restructuring of the rural economy towards endogenous development and adding value. The OCOP program is identified by Xuyên Mộc District as a core solution for creating breakthroughs in rural economic development."

After 4 years of implementing the OCOP program in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, with strong participation from departments, businesses, cooperatives, and production households, significant strides have been made in both the scale and value of product output.

To promote the OCOP program, relevant agencies and localities in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu province have actively supported brand building, trade promotion, and product marketing through the establishment of OCOP product stores and showrooms. These activities have become bridges to foster collaboration between producers, distributors, and consumers.

OCOP products from Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu are gradually asserting their value and quality in the market and gaining consumer trust through being marketed on e-commerce platforms and large supermarket chains in the province, meeting domestic consumer demand and aiming for export.

Bich Lien - Thu Hien