Binh Thuan to focus on OCOP program to promote advantageous products

Fresh dragon fruit and products processed from dragon fruit at an exhibition

 (Illustrative photo)

Accordingly, the project is designed to give priority to the development of  agricultural economy basing on internal potential and advantages, and the OCOP program is expected to create a momentum to promote the localily’s specific services and products. The OCOP program in Binh Thuan has been implemented in two phases with the common targets of agricultural production  restructuring to boost economic development in rural areas, improving income and living standards for rural residents, effectively performing the criterion “Production organization”

in the set of national criteria for new-style rural areas. The OCOP program is expected to boost the development of production organization forms, especially in cooperation and private setors (cooperatives, SMEs, private businesses…), hence, focus on promoting economic development in the localities via advantgeous goods or services, contributing to preserving and suistanable developing rural society. In the first phase (2019-2020), Binh Thuan has started the OCOP program by the  certification for 3 national-level products: fresh dragon fruit, fish sauce and agarwood. For the provincial-level, there have been many advantageous products that need to be promoted, including products processed from dragon fruit, safe veggies, Ganoderma lucidum, cantaloupe, cashew nut, Rế cake (Banh Re), Cốm Cake (Poprice cake), frozen and dried seafood… At the same time, a number of products are defined as local specialities: Latex of sterculia foetida, tiny hot chilli, red grape, Polyscias fruticosa (Tuy Phong districT); Ranina ranina (Spanner Crab), Screw pine tea (Phu Quy island district); Noptopteridae fish (Tanh Linh district), Dong Ha green-skinned pomelo (Duc Linh district), etc. In the meantime, some other specific services/products have been listed, as follows: brocade weaving and pottery (Bac Binh district); handcrafted wooden products (Ham Tan district), sand painting (Phan Thiet city), Tourism service on Ta Cu mountain (Ham Thuan Nam district), Binh Thanh tourist area (Tuy Phong district).

As planned, the OCOP program will select 8-10 advantageous products in terms of  agriculture and tourism services in rural areas in the localities, as well as build-up 1 -2 community-based tourism services. At the same time, 25-30 production organizations (for agricultural products) will be chosen and strengthened to participate in OCOP program. The province’s functional bodies will boost promotional activities to build brand-name for 7-10 products, set up 10-15 shops  in the province or distribution chanels for OCOP products in wholesale markets in other provinces/city (Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Khanh Hoa, Hanoi…)

With regard to the second phase (2021-2025, with the vision to 2030), OCOP program will focus on the development of 20 additional products after the effectiveness assessment of the first one. In particular, the priorities will be given to raising added value of products processed from dragon fruit; boosting competitiveness of some products; expanding participating organization. Especially, the second phase  will promote a number of potential new products, such as; bird’s nest, abalone mushroom, half-dried beef, as well as services relating to fish sauce villages, visiting vineyards and dragon fruit gardens. Besides, the program will be developed  homestay tourism service in Ham Thuan Nam district, Thay Thim Palace, Cam Binh community tourist area(La Gi town), Bau Trang ecotourism area (Bac binh district), Ba Tang waterfalls (Duc Linh district).

The provincial People’s Committee has promulgated some solutions to the implementation of OCOP program in Binh Thuan. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is assigned to take responsibility for building plans to implement the project.

Translated by Phuong Lan (Source: Binh Thuan Newspaper)