Chương Mỹ district organized a conference to evaluate and classify OCOP products. Photo courtesy of the Coordination Office of the New-Style Rural Development Programme in Hà Nội

HÀ NỘI Chương Mỹ District (Hà Nội) is a locality with strengths in agricultural products. Famous agricultural products of Chương Mỹ include Đồng Phú organic rice, Chương Mỹ grapefruit, Chúc Sơn organic vegetables, and Tiên Viên chicken eggs.

The district also has many traditional crafts such as Phú Nghĩa rattan and bamboo weaving, Hồng Phong embroidery, Phụ Chính carpentry, and Văn La conical hats. These are favourable conditions for Chương Mỹ to implement the OCOP – One Commune One Product Programme.

According to data from the Economic Bureau of Chương Mỹ District, up to now Chương Mỹ has 145 products that have been granted three stars or higher OCOP certificates by Hà Nội authorities. Chương Mỹ's OCOP products are quite rich and diverse, the majority of which are agricultural and food products and handicraft products from Phú Vinh rattan and bamboo craft village, Phú Nghĩa commune.

As determined by Chương Mỹ District, OCOP is an economic development programme for rural areas in the direction of developing internal resources and adding values.

The district's OCOP programme is aimed at having 40 more OCOP products evaluated and certified at three stars or higher by the end of 2023; reviewing, evaluating, and reclassifying OCOP products whose certification period has expired according to regulations; striving to have 100 per cent of communes meeting advanced new-style rural standards with OCOP products.

The district has been focusing on upgrading the quality of products that have participated in the OCOP programme and are certified to achieve three stars or higher; striving to have 100 per cent of subjects that receive training on the OCOP programme; 100per cent of OCOP products can participate in events displaying, introducing, promoting, and trading OCOP products.

Trần Văn Nguyện, Director of Vietnam Gigahers Agricultural Joint Stock Company in Trung Hòa commune, said: In 2022, the company had four products evaluated and certified with 4-star OCOP, including tonic tea, vegetable tea, solanum procumbens, pennywort perilla tea, pennywort green bean Collagen powder. Since being recognised by Hà Nội authorities as OCOP, the products have been known to the market, creating opportunities for the company to expand production scale, improve product value and build a brand. In 2023, the company continues to register three products to participate in OCOP evaluation and classification.

After more than four years of implementing the OCOP programme, Phú Vinh rattan and bamboo craft village in Phú Nghĩa commune has 52 products recognised with four stars, one potential product with five stars.

Rattan and bamboo artist Nguyễn Văn Tĩnh in Phú Vinh craft village, Phú Nghĩa commune said: Participating in the OCOP programme, the family's rattan and bamboo products have affirmed their brand, have better quality and are trusted by customers both domestically and internationally. Since then, the family's bamboo and rattan products have not only been consumed in the domestic market but also exported to many countries around the world such as the United States, the UK, Italy, Germany, and Japan.

In addition to agricultural production, Chương Mỹ District also has many traditional occupations such as rattan and bamboo production in Phú Nghĩa, embroidery in Hồng Phong, Phụ Chính carpentry village, Hoà Chính commune, Phù Yên carpentry, Trường Yên commune, Văn La conical hat, Văn Võ commune. The OCOP programme has created motivation for craft villages in Chương Mỹ District to gradually improve product quality, especially rattan and bamboo products of Phú Vinh rattan and bamboo craft village.

After more than four years of implementing the OCOP programme, Phú Vinh rattan and bamboo craft village, Phú Nghĩa commune has 52 products recognised with four stars, one potential product with five stars. In addition, production households in the village not only contribute to maintaining, preserving and promoting the development of craft village product brands but also to expanding consumption markets.

In recent years, agricultural products of Chúc Sơn Organic Fruit and Vegetable Cooperative have always been a bright spot in Hà Nội's OCOP program.

According to Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Chương Mỹ District Đỗ Hoàng Anh Châu, OCOP certified products represent the cultural characteristics, traditions and specific economic values of the locality.

After being certified, the district's OCOP entities plan to increase productivity and product value through improving production technology, optimising processes and investing in current production lines, increasingly ensuring food safety. In addition, businesses, cooperatives, and individual households proactively expand their business scale by seeking export opportunities and promoting marketing of OCOP products nationwide; continue to invest in research to develop new products, improve formulas and explore new applications of natural medicinal herbs.

Chương Mỹ District is continuing to promote the OCOP programme associated with building new and advanced rural areas. The local authorities regularly open training classes to build OCOP products for people, encourage diversification of OCOP products, promote trade promotion, promote OCOP products, and build a chain of links to find outlets for the products. They make planning, creating conditions for production households in craft villages to have premises to expand production factories and build a craft village environmental treatment system.

Up to now, Chương Mỹ District has 145 products that have been granted OCOP certificates by Hà Nội authorities, recognised with three stars or higher in quality.

According to Nguyễn Văn Chí, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office of the Office for Coordinating the New-Style Rural Construction Programme in Hà Nội, said: To continue improving the value of agricultural products, contribute to expanding the market and increasing the value of agricultural products and high profits for entities participating in the OCOP programme, Hà Nội and localities have organised many promotional and product introduction activities, creating maximum conditions for entities participating in trade promotion through fairs and weekly events.

At the same time, they support the introduction and connection with tourism activities inside and outside Hà Nội. Accompanying entities in expanding product consumption markets, Hà Nội has developed 60 product introduction and sales points in 26 districts and towns to bring OCOP products to consumers and tourists when coming to Hà Nội. In particular, Hà Nội will strengthen quality control of OCOP products and make information transparent to consumers; strive to make OCOP a strong brand, affirming its reputation in the market and meeting the needs of safe agricultural products and food of the local inhabitants.

This article is published under the coordination of the Coordination Office of the New-Style Rural Development Programme in Hà Nội. VNS