Cua Lo seafood specialties raise the level of OCOP
(Baonghean.vn) - In addition to swimming, relaxing, and learning about customs and practices, tourists coming to Cua Lo also have the opportunity to buy specialties of the coastal town. To meet this demand, in recent years, Cua Lo has developed many OCOP products...
Rich in seafood specialties
“In just 2 weeks, our seafood store will completely “change its appearance” to prepare for the tourist season” - Ms. Nguyen Thi Tai, owner of Tam Tai seafood store in Nghi Thuy ward - Cua Lo town, “showed off” the new image of the store that has just completed the design. The new booth is still on an area of about 40m22Instead of just placing a few freezers to store seafood and a cabinet to display the specialty of dried mackerel floss produced by the facility, now the investment is focused on both form, interior and arrangement.
Talking about this change, the shop owner added: Due to the connection with travel agencies, during the tourist season, there are quite a lot of customers coming to our shop. Therefore, to create an eye-catching appearance, we think that, in addition to product quality, the booth also needs to be invested in and cared for. That will create an impression for customers when they come to the shop.
Tam Tai Seafood is one of the largest seafood suppliers in Cua Lo town. In addition to developing the profession of going to sea, catching seafood and freezing, in recent years, the establishment has developed the profession of processing seafood. Of which, 3 products have been recognized as OCOP products including grilled mackerel, mackerel sausage and mackerel floss. Preparing for the tourist season, in addition to renovating the store, her family is also focusing on purchasing and storing goods for the peak season.
Sharing more about this, Ms. Nguyen Thi Tai said: March and September are the seafood harvest seasons. This year in particular, we have a good harvest, so we catch a lot of mackerel and we buy a lot of seafood every day, all of which are guaranteed quality. The products will be carefully processed and packaged to make it convenient for customers from far away to shop.
After more than 1 year of registration and having products recognized as OCOP, Ms. Phan Thi Phuong - representative of Son Huyen seafood processing facility (Nghi Hai ward) said: Previously, although she had more than 20 years of experience in the frozen storage and seafood processing industry, her family's way of doing things was completely traditional, including in promoting and consuming products. That is why in previous years, although her family had many times had travel agencies or electric car owners come down to discuss and connect to bring tourists to visit and buy products, her family refused.
However, over the past year, after the facility had 3 products: special squid rolls, seafood spring rolls and breaded shrimp recognized as OCOP products, the family had many opportunities to participate in seminars, training courses, and participate in product display and introduction fairs, the family's way of promoting and consuming has changed. Therefore, currently, the business is not only limited to markets and small traders but has also targeted many other audiences by connecting through social networks and linking with travel and tourism companies.
On this occasion, although busy preparing to participate in promoting and introducing products at the International Trade Fair in Hanoi as introduced by Nghe An Trade Promotion Center, Ms. Phan Thi Phuong's family also prepared facilities to open another store near Vinpearl Cua Lo Entertainment Complex.
With many years of experience in seafood processing, we are confident in the quality of our family's OCOP products. In the near future, when opening a new store, we will determine that it will not only be a place to display and introduce products but also implement a closed process.
Visitors can directly see the product processing and packaging process when purchasing.
Improve product quality
After only 3 years of implementation, Cua Lo town has had more than 20 products recognized as OCOP products, of which 3 products are recognized as 4-star OCOP products and the rest are 3-star OCOP products. If previously, OCOP products were mainly fish sauce, shrimp paste, and sour shrimp, now they have expanded to many new products in the seafood processing industry such as grilled mackerel, squid rolls, mackerel rolls, cotton floss, peanut candy, and nutritious cereals.
Accompanying the units in the process of preparing documents and procedures to be recognized as OCOP products, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Chung - an officer of the Economic Department - People's Committee of Cua Lo town, said: Most of the people working in seafood processing business in Cua Lo have many years of experience in production and business and they have a stable number of customers.
Therefore, when we first implemented the OCOP program, we encountered many difficulties because many business households were afraid of change, were afraid of cumbersome procedures and strict processes and standards. However, now that more and more products are registered and recognized as OCOP products, people have begun to change their thinking. They realize that if their family's products have been recognized as OCOP, they have a "ticket" that ensures safety and reliability to reach consumers.
Nguyen Thi Hao’s seafood business (Nghi Hai ward) is the latest establishment to complete the procedures so that in a short time the processed products of the unit will be recognized as OCOP products. With 5 main products including squid rolls, mackerel rolls, shrimp rolls and fried shrimp, seafood spring rolls… these are all “attractive” products, carrying the unique flavor of Cua Lo seafood.
With high expectations for this program, Ms. Hao added: “When recognized as OCOP, the products will have labels, will be protected in terms of quality and thus customers will feel secure when choosing our products. This is also an opportunity for us to introduce and promote products, build brands and boost distribution, consumption, and increase production.”
With more and more diverse products, tourists coming to Cua Lo will have more opportunities to choose meaningful gifts when returning to the coastal city during this year's tourist season. It is known that in the 2024 tourist season, Cua Lo town will organize many activities associated with the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Cua Lo town such as: Street music festival on weekend nights, fishing festival, flower lantern festival.
In particular, activities will be organized to link Cua Lo tourism with historical, cultural and spiritual sites and craft villages with OCOP products; typical industrial and agricultural products in the area. Hopefully, these will be new experiences to help visitors understand more about Cua Lo and trust and choose quality products produced and processed by the people of the coastal town.
Since 2020, the People's Committee of Cua Lo town has issued Decision No. 3434/QD-UBND dated December 31, 2020 approving the project "Application of science and technology in seafood exploitation and processing and clean agricultural production associated with creating products for tourism 2020 - 2025 and the following years".
Accordingly, the Town People's Committee supports 10 million VND for products meeting 3-star OCOP standards; 15 million VND for products meeting 4-star OCOP standards and 20 million VND for products meeting 5-star OCOP standards.
