Nghe An - a shining example of OCOP product development.

- PVSir, could you please tell us about the development results of OCOP products in Nghe An after more than 3 years of implementation?

Mr. Nguyen Ho LamThe "One Commune, One Product" (OCOP) program is a relatively new program. We are implementing it under extremely difficult conditions: a low starting point, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, limited resources, while the awareness of some officials, Party members, and the people is initially limited, administrative procedures are still cumbersome, and policies and mechanisms are not yet timely.

However, with the attention and guidance of central ministries and agencies; with the high political determination of the Party committees and government; and the decisive involvement of the entire political system from the provincial to the grassroots level, especially with the support and participation of businesses and the people, the program has truly become a part of daily life, creating a great ripple effect and affirming that this is a policy that aligns with the Party's will and the people's aspirations.

Comrade Hoang Nghia Hieu - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, visits OCOP products. Photo: Xuan Hoang

After three years of implementation, Nghe An province now has 249 products that meet the standards.OCOP 3 starsAmong them, one product has the potential to achieve a national 5-star rating, and four products have been upgraded, ranking 3rd nationwide (after Hanoi and Quang Ninh). It was also selected as one of the top 10 outstanding achievements of the province in 2021, contributing to the successful implementation of the new rural development goals. To date, the entire province has 299 out of 411 communes meeting the new rural development standards, reaching 72.7%, and 7 district-level units have completed the new rural development tasks.

Many OCOP products in Nghe An have become well-known, such as:Cam Vinh, Ky Son ginger, Thanh Chuong hill chicken, Pu Mat medicinal herbs, Mu Tun wine, Dien Chau peanuts, Sa Nam soy sauce, Giao Co Lam tea bags from Pu Mat Medicinal Herbs JSC, Gymnema sylvestre tea bags from Pu Mat Medicinal Herbs JSC, brocade textile products: scarves, skirts, tablecloths from Hoa Tien Brocade Village Cooperative, Thanh Chuong green tea from Thanh Duc Agricultural and Tea Processing Cooperative, fermented fish sauce from Van Phan Dien Chau Aquatic Products JSC, Lien Duc incense.ATC Reishi TeaHidumi Pharma's Cordyceps wine, Hidumi Pharma's Spirulina michio algae, Hidumi Pharma's Nattokinaza fermented soybean product,...

Production of spirulina products by Hidumi Pharma Green Science JSC. Photo: Tran Chau

Or other products such as: Kim Nhan oranges from the Kim Nhan orange growing cooperative, Gay Cao Son tea from the Gay Cao Son tea cooperative, Minh Sang green tea from the Minh Sang cooperative, Thanh Chuong chicken from the Thanh Chuong chicken farming cooperative, instant salt, lotus leaf tea from the Sen Que Bac cooperative, Hoang Mai turmeric starch from the Dong Tam agricultural service cooperative, community-based ecotourism villages…

From these results, we can draw the following lesson: Where there is decisive, consistent, and continuous leadership and guidance, especially from the heads of all levels; the involvement of the entire political system; and the determination of businesses, cooperatives, and households to rise up and become reputable producers and businesses with established brands in the market, these are the factors and driving forces that promote the development of the OCOP program, and vice versa.

OCOP (One Commune One Product) turmeric starch product from Hoang Mai town. Photo: Tran Chau

PV:Please tell me, sir.What are the current policies to encourage cooperation and linkages in the production and consumption of agricultural products?

Mr. Nguyen Ho LamThe policy outlined in Decree 98/2008 provides the general legal basis for localities to issue specific and detailed regulations to suit their local circumstances when implementing the OCOP program. In Nghe An, the policy is specified in Resolution No. 13/2018/NQ-HĐND dated December 12, 2018, of the Provincial People's Council, which stipulates policies to encourage cooperation and linkages in the production and consumption of agricultural products in Nghe An province, including the following four support contents:

- We will cover 100% of the costs for consulting on building partnerships.The maximum amount for the lead entity in the partnership is no more than 200 million VND.

- Support for 30% of infrastructure serving the linkage, with a maximum of 4 billion VND per project or linkage contract;

- Providing 100% funding for training and vocational education under the contract/joint project and 50% of the cost of seeds, materials, packaging, and product labels for two production cycles;

- Support of 40% and not exceeding 300 million VND for the costs of transferring and applying scientific and technical knowledge, implementing standardized technical processes and quality management;

Over nearly four years of implementing Decree No. 98/2018/ND-CP and Resolution No. 13/2018/NQ-HĐND of the Provincial People's Council, the province now has 30 projects/plans linking production and product consumption in 8 districts and towns, with a total support budget of over 40 billion VND from 2019 to 2022. The total number of households participating in these linkage projects/plans is 8,656, with a total linkage area of ​​2,844 hectares.

As a result, six cooperatives now have OCOP products, including: Pu Mat Medicinal Herbs Cooperative, Nam Kim High-Tech Agricultural Cooperative for Lemon Production and Processing, Sen Que Bac Agricultural Cooperative, Hoang Mai Clean Agricultural Products Cooperative of Nghe An, and Quyet Tien Agricultural Cooperative for Vinh Hoa Herbal Rice…

Brocade products from Quy Chau district. Photo: Quang An

To date, we have grounds to affirm that in agricultural production, linkages are the key to developing a modern agriculture, shifting from agricultural production to agricultural economic development, ensuring a harmonious balance of interests among participating entities, and contributing to improved efficiency and the role of state management in the economy.

PV:The People's Council of Nghe An province has also approved it.Resolution 25/2020/NQ-HĐND dated December 13, 2020, of the Provincial People's CouncilThe regulations stipulate several support and incentive policies for implementing the OCOP program in the province, for the period 2021-2025. Specifically, what are those policies, sir?

Mr. Nguyen Ho Lam:The support policies outlined in Resolution 25/2020/NQ-HĐND dated December 13, 2020, of the Provincial People's Council include four main policies:

- Support 50% of the total cost of purchasing machinery, equipment, technology transfer, and scientific and technical advancements in the production of OCOP products, but not exceeding 500 million VND per production and business establishment, and only once for the entire period (2021-2025);

- Support 50% of the total cost of construction, repair, and purchase of equipment for preservation and decoration of points for units implementing the introduction and sale of OCOP products, but not exceeding 300 million VND/point for introducing and selling OCOP products, and only supporting 01 point for each district and town, and a maximum of 02 points for Vinh City in the period 2021-2025;

- Support covers 50% of the total cost of design, packaging, and product labeling, but not exceeding 50 million VND per product, and is provided for each star rating upgrade.

- Rewards will be given to each OCOP product that achieves a 3-star rating or higher, with the following reward amounts:

a) Products achieving 3-star rating: Award of 30 million VND per product;

b) Products achieving a 4-star rating: A reward of 40 million VND per product;

c) Products achieving a 5-star rating: Award of 80 million VND per product.

Furthermore, Circular 08 of the Ministry of Finance allows for the integration of programs and projects such as: the New Rural Development Program; Decree 52 (06/2019); Resolution 13 on linkages; Resolution 06 (craft villages); Resolution 18/2021 on agricultural and rural development.

ButInterviewer: Thank you, sir.