Phu Cu: Increasing OCOP products associated with concentrated production areas

Implementing the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program, in recent times, Phu Cu district has directed specialized departments and localities to review and identify products of local origin, ensuring standards for development into OCOP products. Up to now, in the whole district there are 18 products recognized as OCOP products, of which 3 products have achieved 4-star status, 15 products have attained 3-star status. The products recognized as OCOP are mainly in the fields of cultivation and processing.

Fresh cucumber product of Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga's household, Quang Hung commune (Phu Cu) proposes to be recognized as 3-star OCOP products

Promoting the achieved results, in 2024, Phu Cu district strives to have 3 new products recognized as OCOP products including: Super sweet longan; Hung Yen Trung lychee; fresh cucumber. To achieve the goal, the District People's Committee has directed specialized departments to promote propaganda and encourage enterprises, cooperatives, and production establishments to register to participate in building products that ensure compliance with the criteria on origin, packaging, product labels, and other related criteria; focus on supporting subjects to develop products in the direction of commodity production and quality; train, advise, and guide subjects to participate in building and completing dossiers, support intellectual property registration, product certification according to safe production standards... to ensure sufficient conditions to participate in evaluating and classifying OCOP products.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, a farmer in Quang Hung commune, said: Realizing the effectiveness of growing cucumbers and wanting to build quality, branded cucumber products, after being propagated and guided, I made a profile to participate in the OCOP program. To ensure the program requirements, during the plantation process, unlike the traditional trellis (A-shaped trellis), I invested in single trellis, vertical trellis, and planted in one row to ensure easy care, harvesting, and pest control. In addition, I used microbial fertilizers and limited the use of pesticides. Safe production helps me ensure the conditions and criteria of the program.

Over the years, Hung Yen Trung lychee has affirmed its brand in the domestic and foreign markets, due to its beautiful appearance and delicious quality. Therefore, Hung Yen Trung lychee has been granted a trademark protection certificate by the Intellectual Property Office. With the desire to continue developing the Hung Yen Trung lychee brand, the subjects continue to register to participate in the OCOP program, including the Trung lychee cooperative in Phan Sao Nam commune. Mr. Le Anh Ha, Director of Phan Sao Nam Commune Trung Lychee Cooperative, said: In order for the Cooperative's Hung Yen Trung lychee product to be recognized as an OCOP product, the Cooperative focuses on strictly implementing the production process, promoting the application of science and technology in production. At the same time, deploying plantation and care according to VietGAP process, linking product consumption with many households in the commune. Thanks to that, the Cooperative's production area has expanded from 10 hectares in 2022 to nearly 20 hectares now. In addition, when registering to participate in the OCOP program, the Cooperative is supported by the district and specialized agencies to participate in training, trade promotion and product advertisement; cold storage support, support for 500 packages, 2,000 product labels... Up to now, the Cooperative has completed the dossier to send to the district to request recognition of the Cooperative's Hung Yen Trung lychee product as an OCOP, 3-star class.

Along with fresh cucumber products, Hung Yen Trung lychee, in recent years, the district has encouraged households to renovate longan gardens, grow high-yield, high-quality longan varieties, and apply science and technology to production, so the quality and output of longan grown on Phu Cu land is increasingly high.

To continue to bolster the strength of longan cultivation, this year, the district chose super sweet longan as an OCOP product. Mr. Nguyen Quoc Oai, Director of Nguyen Hoa Longan Service and Trade Cooperative, Nguyen Hoa commune - the unit that registered the super sweet longan product as an OCOP product, said: With such of many advantages as: Many fruits, thick flesh, small seeds... after being put into production at the Cooperative, the super sweet longan variety has affirmed its high economic value. With over 10 hectares of longan, in the past 2-3 years, the Cooperative's longan output has reached nearly 100 tons, of which 50% of the longan output is linked for sale to traders, fresh vegetable and fruit stores in and outside the province; 20% of longan output is sold through e-commerce channels. From the economic efficiency, the cooperative focuses on building a brand so that the product meets consumer tastes. Accordingly, the cooperative promotes members to maintain production according to the VietGAP process. During the care process, the use of fertilizers and pesticides is applied according to the "4 rights" principle, increasing organic fertilizer application... Comparing the criteria of the OCOP program, the cooperative's super sweet longan product meets the criteria.

Up to this point, the subjects participating in the OCOP program in 2024 have completed the documents and sent them to the district's professional department to request appraisal and recognition of OCOP products.

Comrade Le Xuan Mai, Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Phu Cu district, said: In general, the products registered for OCOP product recognition ensure compliance with the criteria and regulations of the program. During the production process, the subjects have proactively improved product quality and expanded the market.

In fact, products recognized as OCOP increase 15 - 20% in value compared to similar products grown in the district. Therefore, Phu Cu district continues to focus on developing OCOP products according to the strengths of each locality. In particular, focusing on developing OCOP products associated with concentrated production areas; boosting the application of science and technology, digital transformation... to improve product quality, expand the consumption market...