Leaders of Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Sơn Tây Town People's Committee cut the ribbon to open the event to introduce OCOP products associated with the culture of the Northern mountainous provinces. Photos courtesy of the Coordination Office of the New-Style Rural Development Programme in Hà Nội

HÀ NỘI Sơn Tây Town in Hà Nội is focusing on building and promoting the effectiveness of agricultural products, craft village products, and advanced OCOP products competitiveness in the market.

The move aims to evaluate and classify 120 products, including 90 new products, 30 re-evaluated products, 35 - 40 products with 4 stars, one 5-star product and supporting products registered for 4-star and 5-star upgrade competitions by 2025.

With the support of Hà Nội authorities, up to now, Sơn Tây Town has had 78 products of 14 cooperatives, companies, and business households evaluated and classified OCOP products as 3 stars, 4 stars, in the food, handicraft, and decoration industries. Among them, many traditional products have OCOP potential such as peanut candy and sesame candy of Đường Lâm commune; Dong vermicelli in Cổ Đông commune; fish cake, chrysanthemum tea in Sơn Đông commune; Kim Sơn commune honey; melons and vegetables of all kinds in Viên Sơn ward; Phú Nhi rice cake of Phú Thịnh ward and many other agricultural products.

Recently, the town has proactively coordinated with the Hà Nội New-Style Rural Construction Programme Coordination Office to organise many training classes to improve the quality of resources to implement the programme.

In order for the programme to be highly effective, the town also focuses on transferring technology to workers; supporting registration of intellectual property protection, trademarks, collective brands for products; developing and standardising product quality, packaging, and product labels. At the same time, the town also opened a point to display and introduce OCOP products at the gate of Mông Phụ village in Đường Lâm commune.

Cao Văn Hiền - Owner of Hiền Bao Rraditional Confectionery Factory in Đông Sàng village, Đường Lâm commune said "My family makes heirloom confectionery products such as peanut candy, sausage, sesame, and brown rice. Previously, products were mainly sold locally, in small quantities."

In 2012, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and Đường Lâm Relics Management Board organised a contest for local traditional products. Accordingly, five products: peanut candy, white and black sesame, sausage candy, brown rice from traditional confectionery production facility Hiền Bao won the first prize, and were granted HB logo and product safety certification by JICA. Following the success, Hiền's family received support from the authorities to register these five products to participate in OCOP and all achieved three stars.

"Before achieving OCOP stars, each month the family used two-three tonnes of raw materials to produce confectionery, but now the quantity has increased by five-six tonnes/month," said Hiền.

"Consumer market is expanded to the provinces of Hoà Bình and Thái Nguyên, and Hồ Chí Minh City... and many tourist areas in other provinces and cities nationwide. The production facility also creates stable jobs for 6 - 10 regular workers and dozens of seasonal workers with monthly income of VND4 - 12 million/person. In the coming time, we will focus on further improving product quality, striving to achieve 4-star OCOP."

Kim Sơn commune, Sơn Tây Town has dozens of beekeeping households with more than 4,000 colonies and honey output of 35,000 - 40,000 liters/year.

Director of Kim Sơn Agricultural Cooperative Nguyễn Xuân Quyền said beekeepers have established the Kim Sơn Honey Bee Cooperative Group. In addition to income from honey exploitation, households also multiply bee breeding colonies, sell pollen... bringing a stable income of VND150 - 800 million/household per year. Taking these advantages, the local authorities chose Kim Sơn honey to support development in the OCOP programme.

People visit and shop for OCOP products.

According to Head of the Economic Department of Sơn Tây Town, Phùng Huy Vinh, the town has many advantageous products such as Mia chicken, peanut candy, sausage candy, and green tea from Đường Lâm commune; grapefruit, green tea (Cổ Đông commune); honey, fresh cow's milk (Kim Sơn commune); ostrich, wild boar (Thanh Mỹ commune); melons of all kinds (Xuân Sơn commune) and Phú Nhi banh te products (Phú Thịnh ward), among others. These are typical products that, if supported for development, will bring high economic value, enriching the households.

In order for the models to be highly effective, the town has focused on training and transferring technology to workers; and removed difficulties for households regarding seeds, seedlings, and materials for production. The town also supports registration of intellectual property protection, trademarks, and collective brands for products; develops and standardizes product quality, packaging, and product labels.

At the same time, it organises conferences to thoroughly grasp and deploy the OCOP programme for leaders of departments, branches, branches and unions of the town and communes and wards in the area. From there, it promotes propaganda about the effectiveness of the OCOP programme, encourages organisations and individuals to promote creative ideas, it actively works, produces, and does business to develop the family economy through implementation OCOP programme effectiveness.

Products of Sơn Tây Town participate in OCOP grading.

From now until 2025, Sơn Tây Town strives to evaluate and classify 120 products, including 90 new products; 30 re-evaluated products (due to expiration of 3-star or higher certificate); 35 - 40 products of 4 stars, one 5-star product and priority support is given to products registered to compete for 4 star or 5 star upgrade.

To complete the set goal, Vice Chairman of Sơn Tây Town People's Committee Tạ Thanh Phong said that the town will actively find outlets for OCOP products because once the product sells well, bringing practical economic values, it can attract the participation of subjects.

Accordingly, Sơn Tây Town focuses on building and developing brands of agricultural products and OCOP products to improve the competitiveness of goods in the market; strengthen and improve the effectiveness of trade promotion activities and expand production cooperation; building product brands, improving the competitiveness of agricultural products and craft village products.

In addition, it continues to promote propaganda to Party committees, authorities and people at all levels about the meaning of the OCOP program; to guide, advise, and support businesses, business households, and cooperatives to perfect their production and business facilities to qualify to participate in product evaluation and classification according to OCOP criteria. At the same time, it well implements programmes to support the development of concentrated specialized production, supporting the development of cooperation and linkages in the production and consumption of agricultural products in the area.

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