Voters hope the OCOP Program will have a new breakthrough

Through following the meeting, I highly appreciate the frankness of the delegates in raising questions that are focused and key, in line with the current situation of the OCOP Program. The answers of the Directors of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Department of Industry and Trade were quite frank, substantive, and directly addressed the remaining issues, issues that OCOP subjects as well as consumers in the province are concerned about.

Nghi Loc district has so far had 14 OCOP products, of which 1 product has achieved 4 stars and 13 products have achieved 3 stars. It is expected that by the end of 2023, the district will strive to recognize 7-8 more OCOP products, and by 2025, the district will have about 40 OCOP products achieving stars.

However, it must be recognized that some products after being certified have not yet had a breakthrough development, affirming their brand in the market. Nghi Loc district alone has implemented many policies to support production entities, such as guiding the implementation process of VietGAP steps, product branding, financial support as well as connections to bring products to consumption at fairs and supply-demand connection conferences, but the results have not yet reached the expected level.

Therefore, after the question and answer session on this issue, we hope that all levels and sectors will continue to have more support policies, creating leverage to remove difficulties for OCOP products not only in Nghi Loc district but also in the province, such as creating conditions for entities to lease land for production, borrow capital, reduce interest rates, provide training to improve market access capacity, organize many connection programs, with the highest goal of bringing Nghe An OCOP products to increasingly gain a foothold in domestic and foreign markets.

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Through following the questioning session this afternoon, I highly appreciate the response of the Director of the Department of Industry and Trade on the issue of OCOP product consumption.

That is “OCOP” is a certificate, a “Passport”, a “Passport” to expand market share and consumption market. However, to be consumed, the product must ensure quality, food hygiene and safety, meet standards in design, labeling, origin and depend on the dynamism, connection, promotion of the subject as well as the support of all levels and sectors.

Dong Thanh Commune (Yen Thanh) currently has over 60 hectares of oranges certified with VietGAP standards and Dong Thanh oranges certified with 3-star OCOP. However, the output for Dong Thanh oranges is still facing many difficulties, being compared to other types of oranges floating on the market, with unstable prices. Meanwhile, the process of caring for, investing in, and harvesting oranges according to OCOP criteria is very elaborate and more expensive, but the selling price is not higher.

As a representative of the locality with OCOP products, I propose that relevant sectors support entities to expand distribution channels and access potential markets, and promote trade promotion.

In addition, relevant sectors need to actively support orange farmers in creating growing area codes and tracing the origin of agricultural products. At the same time, support printing anti-counterfeit stamps (including design and printing) for OCOP orange products to protect reputable and quality brands in the market.

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“Currently, the “One Commune One Product” Program is an issue of concern to many people, from localities to production households, cooperatives, and enterprises. Because in addition to the issue of livelihoods and restructuring the rural economy, it is also the core in building modern rural areas and ecological agriculture. I highly appreciate the issue of OCOP that the Provincial People's Council has chosen to question this time.

I highly appreciate the scientific and flexible management of the chairman at the question and answer session. The chairman of the session asked the delegates to choose the most important issue, stating the content of the question directly so that the person being questioned could easily grasp the questioner's ideas. Representatives of the Agriculture and Rural Development and Industry and Trade sectors also answered directly to the point, fully and clearly.

I myself am a subject with up to 5 products "starred" OCOP, therefore, I hope that, after this session, the remaining limitations, shortcomings, and recommendations of voters on the "One Commune One Product" Program will be resolved by relevant levels and sectors, with more drastic direction, closer and more reasonable solutions, all for the goal of bringing OCOP products deeper and further, becoming a lever in shifting the economic structure in rural areas and opening up many opportunities for linkage in building production chains, increasing the value of agricultural products.

In particular, overcome the limitations in promoting and spreading the brand of OCOP products through channels such as: Opening OCOP booths at key tourist destinations of the province such as: Kim Lien Relic Site, Ho Chi Minh Square, Cua Lo Town, Vinh walking street, Cao Thang night street...; Introducing OCOP products of the province on platforms such as press media, digital platforms (Website, Fanpage, social networks...); Selecting OCOP products as gifts, souvenirs... for conferences and seminars taking place in the province.

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Through following the questioning session on OCOP products at this Provincial People's Council meeting, as a voter and a citizen who regularly buys OCOP products for use, I feel that OCOP products are receiving close attention from all levels, sectors and localities.

As a consumer myself, I often choose local OCOP products for use and especially as gifts for relatives and friends at home and abroad. In my opinion, the quality of OCOP products has basically met the requirements, food hygiene and safety are guaranteed, diverse in types, and characterized by regions and localities. The products I often choose as gifts are: Thanh Chuong black plum, Thanh Chuong green tea, Thanh Chuong pickled vegetables, Nam Dan tapioca starch, fish sauce, etc.

However, in my opinion, OCOP products have not been invested properly in terms of design and packaging to be suitable as gifts. Most of the packaging products are still rudimentary, without unique designs, lacking sophistication and luxury.

Therefore, as a consumer, I hope that the subjects, as well as the levels and sectors, need to pay attention and invest so that OCOP products can be dressed in a "new coat" of sophistication, luxury and have their own unique characteristics so that when customers look at it, they can immediately recognize which commune or district this is a specialty of.