Current Affairs

OCOP enhances the value and brand of Nam Dan agricultural products.

Mai Hoa • February 7, 2025 11:31

Nam Dan district has the highest number of OCOP products compared to other localities in the province, with 100% of its communes and towns having such products; this helps Nam Dan's agricultural products affirm their quality and enhance their brand image in the market.

Mai Hoa • February 7, 2025

"Lotus of Uncle Ho's Homeland" has now become ingrained in the consciousness of the Vietnamese people, grown in Kim Lien commune (Nam Dan district), the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh. This beloved name has become the brand for 15 products belonging to two lines of beverages (including lotus heart tea, lotus seed tea, and lotus-infused rice tea) and food products (including fresh and dried lotus seeds, fresh and dried lotus roots, lotus root starch, lotus jam, and lotus seed cakes) of the Lotus of Uncle Ho's Homeland Cooperative.

Mr. Pham Kim Tien - Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director of the Sen Que Bac Cooperative, shared: Out of 15 products, 11 have been recognized as meeting OCOP standards, including 4 four-star products and 7 three-star products. Currently, the number of consumers of OCOP Sen Que Bac products is very large, which is the biggest success of the product.

In addition to being evaluated and ranked under the OCOP program, the lotus seed tea product of the Sen Que Bac Cooperative became one of the 100 outstanding products nationwide to receive the first "Mai An Tiem" Award in 2024 from the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance; simultaneously, it was awarded the National Quality Award in 2024, selected and recognized by the Ministry of Science and Technology based on criteria related to product quality, competitiveness, and market reach…

The Thien Nhan lemon products of the Nam Kim Lemon Cooperative, with their main ingredient being lemons readily available on the Thien Nhan mountain range in the communes of Nam Kim, Khanh Son, and Thuong Tan Loc (Nam Dan district), covering an area of ​​over 700 hectares, and boasting 6 OCOP 3-star products, have established a strong brand in the market. In particular, 3 herbal products – floor cleaner, laundry detergent, and dishwashing liquid – are well-known and used by consumers in Nghe An province and other locations such as Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Dong Nai, Vung Tau, Tien Giang, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Based on the support from the Thien Tam Fund, part of Vingroup, for the Nam Kim Lemon Cooperative to improve management capacity, production processes, product quality, and market access; according to Mr. Dang Van Hoa - Director of the Nam Kim Lemon Cooperative, the cooperative is currently investing in modern technology lines and expanding its membership to approximately 500 lemon-growing households to build a stable raw material area in Nam Dan district and develop production scale in several provinces and cities nationwide.

While the lotus products from Uncle Ho's hometown and the Thien Nhan lemons are built and developed based on readily available local raw materials, the soy sauce product, under the brand "Sa Nam Huong Duong," which achieved OCOP 3-star rating, from the Sa Nam Agricultural Production and Processing Cooperative, is developed from the traditional products of its homeland: "Thanh Chuong fermented bamboo shoots and Nam Dan soy sauce."

Ms. Ho Thi Xuan Huong, Chairwoman and Director of the Sa Nam Huong Duong Agricultural Production and Processing Cooperative, stated: “The development of OCOP products has created a systematic production process, ensuring product quality. Although soy sauce is a niche product, not every family uses it, among the traditional soy sauce consumers, once they try 'Sa Nam Huong Duong,' they no longer use any other soy sauce, resulting in a steady annual revenue increase of approximately 10%.”

With the goal of exploiting and promoting the potential and traditional values ​​of the locality, while simultaneously promoting the transformation of the rural economic and labor structure; especially with the desire to create products to serve tourists visiting Nam Dan - the birthplace of President Ho Chi Minh; the direction of OCOP product development is a political task that the district Party committee, government, and local authorities pay close attention to.

The People's Committee of Nam Dan District has issued a plan for the "One Commune, One Product" (OCOP) program in Nam Dan District, linked with tourism development, for the period 2019-2025 and with a vision to 2030. The District Steering Committee for New Rural Development directly oversees the program; a district-level OCOP team has been established to both advise the Steering Committee and directly guide and support businesses in developing OCOP products.

To ensure that all communes have products meeting OCOP standards, the District Steering Committee for New Rural Development directly invited the heads of Party committees and local governments in areas that had not yet developed products to discuss the matter, both to encourage them and to assign specific responsibilities. Thanks to this, after 5 years of systematic and decisive guidance, Nam Dan district has become the leading district in the province in terms of the number of OCOP products, with a total of 81 products achieving 3-star or higher rating, including 9 products achieving 4-star rating.

Besides affirming the large quantity, value, and quality of OCOP products on the market, as discussed by Comrade Nguyen Hong Son - Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the District People's Committee: The OCOP program has had a positive impact on rural economic development, transforming small-scale agricultural production towards value chain linkages, according to standards and regulations, with traceability and market demand. Many localities have planned and developed areas for "specialty" raw materials such as lotus, lemon, kudzu, soybean, persimmon, tangerine, etc., and raised calves and free-range chickens; linking this with the development of rural industries, preserving and developing traditional crafts; contributing to job creation and increasing income for people in rural areas.

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Nam Dan district continues to be determined to increase the number of OCOP products and enhance the value and brand of these products in the market."

Comrade Nguyen Hong Son - Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Chairman of the District People's Committee

Based on the experience and practical application of the products, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Nam Dan district also stated: Alongside continuing to develop and increase the number of OCOP products, Nam Dan district will continue to focus on supporting and improving the capacity and operational efficiency of OCOP entities to enhance the quality and value of existing OCOP products, while also promoting their widespread presence in the market.

Mai Hoa