Nghe An with its diverse terrain, many different sub-climates, and diverse ethnic groups has created a diversity of regional specialties. Basically, it is divided into groups: Specialty plants (Xa Doai oranges, dragon sticky rice, Tan Ky bamboo shoots, ginseng, Thanh Chuong black plums, Ky Son snow shan tea...); specialty animals (Giang river cool fish, Lam river catfish, Quy duck, Ky Son black chicken...), traditional cuisine (Van Phan fish sauce, Nam Nghia ham, Tuong Duong beef jerky, Cua Lo dried squid, Dien Chau shrimp...). In particular, in Nghe An, almost every village has a traditional craft. Up to now, the whole province has 171 recognized craft villages and hundreds of villages with crafts, each year creating a production value of over 2,400 billion VND.
With the concentration of "craft villages" and the richness and diversity of products, Nghe An clearly has great potential for tourism development, especially agricultural, craft village and community tourism. According to Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Director of Nghe An Department of Tourism: "The development of agricultural, craft village and community tourism will create unique, attractive and competitive tourism products that bring economic benefits to local people, while also playing a great role in preserving the landscape and cultural identity of the homeland". Thus, one of the factors that need to be promoted is to form products with the Nghe An tourism brand, including gift products. To do so, it is necessary to pose the problem of integrating the development of OCOP products with tourism; how to make OCOP products help local tourism programs richer and more attractive to tourists; On the contrary, thanks to tourism, the value of OCOP products is enhanced... thereby developing tourism and sustainable rural development.
The Prime Minister's issuance of Decision No. 490/QD-TTg approving the One Commune One Product Program for the 2018-2020 period (abbreviated as the OCOP program) is considered a premise for the formation and improvement of the quality and value of advantageous agricultural, non-agricultural and service products in each locality, including tourism products; at the same time, it is also the solution to the problem of creating products with the Nghe An tourism brand in particular.
Starting to implement the OCOP Program, Nghe An has taken drastic action, especially with the efforts of enterprises, cooperatives, cooperative groups and the consensus and response of the people. The OCOP Program has become a widespread movement in the whole province and more and more good models, effective and creative methods have appeared; contributing to the province's agricultural products being abundant in quantity, diverse in types and quality, increasing in value, increasing income for people; making the appearance of the province's countryside increasingly prosperous. By 2022, Nghe An has 249 products meeting OCOP standards of 3 stars or higher, of which 1 product has the potential to reach the National 5-star level and 4 products have been upgraded, ranking 3rd in the country (after Hanoi and Quang Ninh).
Many OCOP products have become specialties, welcomed by consumers everywhere such as: Vinh oranges; Ky Son ginger; Thanh Chuong hill chicken; Dien Chau lotus peanuts; Sa Nam soy sauce (Nam Dan); underground fish sauce of Van Phan Dien Chau Seafood Joint Stock Company; brocade textile products: scarves, skirts, tablecloths of Hoa Tien brocade craft villages (Quy Chau), Thai Minh (Tan Ky); Thanh Chuong green tea of Thanh Duc agricultural and tea processing cooperative; Gynostemma pentaphyllum tea bags, Gymnema sylvestre tea bags of Pu Mat Medicinal Materials Joint Stock Company; ATC lingzhi tea; Cordyceps wine, Spirulina algae, Nattokinaza fermented soybean products of Hidumi Pharma Green Science Joint Stock Company; community eco-tourism villages such as Nua village (Con Cuong), Hoa Tien (Quy Chau)...
To support the development of the OCOP program, Nghe An province has issued many policies and implemented specific solutions. Mr. Nguyen Ho Lam - Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said: "On December 13, 2020, the Provincial People's Council issued Resolution 25/2020/NQ - HDND stipulating a number of policies to support and implement the OCOP program in the province, period 2021 - 2025. In which, it is clearly stated that the province supports 50% of the total cost of purchasing machinery, equipment, technology transfer, scientific and technical advances in the production of OCOP products; 50% of the total cost of construction, repair, purchase of equipment for preservation, decoration of points for units implementing the introduction and sale of OCOP products; 50% of the total cost of design, purchase of commercial packaging, purchase of product labels; rewards for each OCOP product achieving 3 stars or higher.
Trade promotion and OCOP product promotion activities are also given special attention. In 2020-2021 alone, Nghe An organized 14 events, including 4 supply-demand connection conferences; 3 product exhibitions and 7 fairs, contributing to bringing the province's OCOP products closer to other localities, expanding domestic and international consumption markets... In addition, sectors and localities have also coordinated with OCOP entities to select qualified products to put on e-commerce platforms. By June 2022, 63 OCOP products with 3 stars or higher had been put on reputable e-commerce platforms nationwide.
It can be said that the OCOP Program in Nghe An has brought high efficiency in the socio-economic development of the locality: Contributing to creating regular jobs for about 2,300 workers and 1,800 - 2,000 seasonal workers, with an average income of 3.5 - 4 million VND/person/month. The OCOP Program has also contributed to the successful implementation of the goals of building new rural areas. Up to now, the whole province has had 299/411 communes meeting new rural standards, reaching 72.7% and 7 district-level units completing the task of building new rural areas.
In addition, the OCOP Program also contributes to preserving and promoting the cultural identity and environmental landscape of the locality. Each OCOP product with its own unique characteristics has become an "ambassador" to help promote the culture of each region. From supermarkets, banquets, and parties, the simple hometown gifts of the past have become "luxurious" spreading the values of the land and people: typical examples are Sa Nam soy sauce, Nam Nghia veal sausage, lotus products are typical of Uncle Ho's hometown - Nam Dan; Salty pickles remind us of the land of Thanh Chuong rich in tradition; fish sauce is typical of the coastal areas of Cua Lo, Dien Chau, Quynh Luu; Fermented wine and herbs remind us of the great Pu Mat, Con Cuong; brocade weaving products remind us of the weaving profession of the Thai people in the Western region of Nghe An...
