The Quảng Ninh One Commune One Product Fair held in Hạ Long City in the summer of 2023 attracts a large number of local residents and tourists. VNA/VNS Photo

QUẢNG NINH — Quảng Ninh has gained success in establishing the quality and unique characteristics of its One Commune One Product (OCOP) products, winning consumer trust and providing higher income for rural communities.

Since the launch of the OCOP programme in 2013, Quảng Ninh Province has recognised this as a vital economic development programme with a focus on self-sufficiency, fostering a strong and sustainable connection between producers, processors, and consumers.

Therefore, it has required accurate awareness, appropriate actions, and steps to further enhance the reputation of Quảng Ninh's agricultural products.

After 10 years of implementing the programme, Quảng Ninh has become the leading province in the country in terms of the number of OCOP products with 565 products, including 193 products awarded three stars, 68 products awarded four stars, three products with provincial five stars and three products with national five stars.

Quảng Ninh's OCOP products have become increasingly diverse in packaging and design, meeting various quality and food safety standards. These products have firmly established their brands in the market and have been well-received by domestic customers.

In addition to improving product quality, the province has implemented various solutions to promote OCOP products. Quảng Ninh currently has approximately 30 OCOP retail centres and sales points. More than 95 per cent of OCOP products have electronic labels or barcodes.

The inclusion of OCOP products on e-commerce platforms makes it convenient for consumers to purchase the products. Currently, 385 OCOP products are available on e-commerce platforms such as Postmart.vn, Voso.vn, Sendo, and Tiki.

Furthermore, to create a brand for the province's agricultural products and promote sustainable tourism, Quảng Ninh has focused on promoting and connecting OCOP products with tourism development, offering attractive experiences for tourists.

Starting from the beginning of the 2023 tourism season, apart from traditional forms, eco-tourism offers tourists OCOP products in the province. In addition, OCOP products are prominently showcased at annual tourism festivals in various localities as well as major events such as the 31st Southeast Asian Games and the 17th East Asian Tourism Forum. These efforts have led to the increasing recognition of OCOP products both locally and internationally.

Currently, Quảng Ninh is focusing on regional raw material planning, building and managing the OCOP brand into a strong and standardised brand, and developing OCOP products according to the value chain, aligned with the advantages of production conditions and market demands.

The province has created favourable conditions for organisations and individuals to invest in establishing agricultural product processing facilities, land clearance, raw material zones, and has provided mechanisms and policies to support the infrastructure construction and investment in production equipment.

With various unique regional specialties, the province places a strong emphasis on ensuring product quality linked to local advantages, thereby promoting market connectivity and sustainable development for each OCOP product.

Tourists visit a OCOP product booth at a fair to boost local OCOP agricultural products in Hạ Long City in northern Quảng Ninh Province. VNA/VNS Photo

Quảng Ninh aims to have approximately eight to ten OCOP products achieve a national five-star rating by the end of 2025. The province aims to ensure that 100 per cent of OCOP products are labelled with electronic tags or have traceable barcodes, and to establish value chains with circular economic approaches. Additionally, 100 per cent of OCOP entities are expected to participate in modern sales channels such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and e-commerce platforms.

To enhance the brand of agricultural products, Quảng Ninh will continue to create favourable conditions for businesses to develop e-commerce, aligning with the trends of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Simultaneously, it will actively promote the development of local agricultural product brands, geographic indications, and organise promotional activities for OCOP products linked to local regions, strengthening collaboration among businesses to boost the production and consumption of OCOP products.

In the near future, to drive effective OCOP product consumption, Quảng Ninh will continue to provide support mechanisms to bring OCOP products into local centres and sales points, especially in airport and tourist areas. Additionally, the provincial Department of Trade will collaborate closely with the Department of Tourism and local authorities to enhance the connection between OCOP programmes and tourism routes, enabling tourists to experience OCOP products at OCOP centres and stores as well as its production facilities.

To standardise and enhance the quality of OCOP products, Quảng Ninh will intensify the development of provincial-level OCOP products, focusing on increasing the quantity, value, and ensuring high standards, step by step aligning with international standards to serve exports. Apart from changes in production technology and designs, the province will continue to apply mechanisms and policies to support the development of production, tourism, science and technology, and trade promotion, thereby stimulating the development of production for individuals and economic entities participating in the OCOP programme.

Nguyễn Kiên, Director of the Quảng Ninh Trade Promotion and Development Centre stated that the centre is currently focusing on upgrading the province's e-commerce platform, and will actively support the OCOP products that have received star ratings on various platforms.

Additionally, the centre will connect with banks, service providers, businesses and organisations in organising training sessions and electronic booths at provincial-level trade fairs. — VNS