Can Tho: Support for OCOP goods

The Department of Industry and Trade of Can Tho City, in partnership with Central Retail Vietnam Group, hosted the opening ceremony of OCOP Week and Vietnam's premier goods 2022 at GO!

Mr Nguyen Van Hong, Vice Chairman of Can Tho City People's Committee, recently said that the city is always interested in and actively pursuing OCOP.

OCOP goods from the Mekong Delta in general, and Can Tho in particular, have increasingly exploited and promoted the areas' unique qualities, cultural values, and traditions.

Can Tho City OCOP goods have been exerting their brand name in the market, creating an effect on customers, and contributing to the current expansion of the city's socioeconomic indices.

Can Tho City expect the Ministry of Industry and Trade has a strategy to encourage content to boost OCOP goods?

The OCOP program has become a fundamental policy, powerfully pervasive, simultaneously, and broadly applied, and has become a priority solution in rural economic development, related to new rural buildings in Vietnam- all sites around the nation.

On that premise, many enterprises, manufacturing facilities, and cooperatives (cooperatives) have concentrated on enhancing product quality to fulfil a variety of quality standards, designs, and laws in food safety and environmental protection. Localities have actively directed, advised, and encouraged subjects to effectively execute the contents and actions of the OCOP program to support OCOP products.

Simultaneously, concentrate on promoting and marketing OCOP goods in a variety of ways, such as conducting connection programs, trade promotion, hosting fairs and exhibits of OCOP products, and deploying promotional point construction.

Participating in promotional programs for OCOP goods, according to OCOP program themes, helps units contact more customers and identify partners to increase the market.

Through promotional efforts such as allowing consumers to experience the product and listening to customer and partner feedback, the unit has improved to have a good product that meets the demands of the local market and export.

According to Mr Pham Ngoc Da, Director of Giot Phu Sa Hi-tech Agricultural Cooperative (Can Tho City), the cooperative specializes in cordyceps mushroom products. In addition to efforts to produce high-quality goods, the assistance of all levels, sectors, and local governments, particularly distributors, is seen as critical for items to reach the market.

Previously, the Can Tho City Department of Industry and Trade operated promotion and connecting initiatives.

According to Central Retail Group's Communications Director Nguyen Thi Bich Van, despite being a Thai FDI corporation, the group constantly promotes Vietnamese products, with OCOP items getting special attention. OCOP items and regional specialities are prioritized in supermarkets.

Central Retail has special processes for OCOP and cooperatives. Adopt a faster payment option, such as 15 days after delivery instead of 30 days, and participate in marketing, networking, etc. initiatives. Central Retail helps find 5-star OCOP export opportunities internationally. Vietnam Goods Week is held annually in Bangkok (Thailand).

Legislation, rules, and criteria make recognizing and assessing OCOP items difficult. Maintaining OCOP product quality is difficult. After being acknowledged, OCOP items sometimes lose quality and standards.

Experts think state management organizations are crucial in assuring OCOP product quality. Municipalities must organize interdisciplinary delegations to inspect and appraise business production processes regularly. Only then can the same unit maintain OCOP star-rated quality.

Khanh Nam