Cua Lo town strives to develop OCOP products.
(Baonghean.vn) - In order to develop local specialty products along the value chain, thereby contributing to the shift in economic structure, tourism development, and improving people's income and living standards, Cua Lo town has been striving to build Cua Lo's distinctive products to achieve provincial-level OCOP quality.
Starting with traditional fish sauce products.
To develop OCOP products at the provincial level, Cua Lo town submitted product dossiers for fish sauce from three establishments: Cua Hoi Seafood Processing and Service Joint Stock Company (Tan Hoi fish sauce); Hai Giang 1 Fish Sauce Processing Village Cooperative (Hai Giang 1 fish sauce); and Song Lam Service Cooperative (Ngu Hai fish sauce). All three fish sauce products achieved 4-star rating at the town level.
The Hai Giang 1 Fish Sauce Processing Cooperative, formerly known as Hai Giang 1 Fish Sauce Village, is one of the oldest traditional fish sauce processing villages in Cua Lo town. The village's fish sauce products have long been a favorite choice for consumers both within and outside the province, especially tourists visiting the coastal town.
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| Cua Lo fish sauce is famous among tourists. Photo: Thanh Chung |
Therefore, when the town of Cua Lo recognized Hai Giang 1 fish sauce as a 4-star OCOP product and is currently awaiting evaluation by the provincial OCOP Council, the villagers and cooperative leaders were very excited. For them, achieving OCOP quality is another affirmation of the traditional fish sauce brand of the village, and more importantly, the product will become known to more consumers, giving them greater confidence in its quality. And once it achieves provincial-level OCOP quality, the product will certainly be able to enter major supermarket chains and large trade fairs.
During the process of building the quality of OCOP products at the provincial level, the advantage is that the Hai Giang 1 fish sauce village already has a brand name in the market and has been recognized with 4 stars by the OCOP Council at the town level. Currently, the village sells about 1,000 liters of various types of fish sauce to the market each year. Previously, households in the village mainly produced on a small scale, primarily selling to familiar customers. In September 2000, the Hai Giang 1 Fish Sauce Processing Cooperative was established, attracting 84 households, providing regular employment for over 300 workers. In 2020 alone, the average income of workers reached 72 million VND/person, and the village's products participated in many trade fairs, expanding the customer base...
WithHai Giang 1 fish sauceIn 2020, the fish sauce product of Song Lam Service Cooperative was also recognized with 4 stars by Cua Lo town and has submitted an application for provincial-level OCOP product recognition. Mr. Nguyen Van Huy – Business Department, Song Lam Service Cooperative, said: “If Song Lam Cooperative's fish sauce product achieves provincial-level OCOP product recognition, it will be a favorable condition for the Cooperative to expand its market, especially into supermarkets and clean food stores nationwide. This is also the long-term direction that the Cooperative is aiming for.”
Many support policies
In accordance with Decision No. 729/QD-UBND dated March 12, 2019, of the People's Committee of Nghe An province approving the "One Commune, One Product" project of Nghe An province for the period 2019-2020, with orientation to 2030, the Economic Department of Cua Lo town advised the People's Committee of the town to issue decisions establishing the Steering Committee, the Product Evaluation Council, and the Support Team... The Steering Committee of the OCOP program of the town has issued the Regulations on operation and assignment of tasks of the Steering Committee; and the Regulations on operation of the Product Evaluation and Classification Council of the town. On September 25, 2020, the Economic Department coordinated with the Political Training Center to open a training course for 100 participants, including Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of the People's Committees, officials in charge of the OCOP program of the wards, and production and business households in the area. The lecturer was the Deputy Head of the Provincial Rural Development Sub-Department.
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| Hai Giang 1 fish sauce has been recognized as an OCOP product. Photo: Thanh Hien |
Mr. Vo Van Ly, Head of the Economic Department of Cua Lo town, said: Cua Lo has many products from traditional craft villages and seafood processing facilities that meet the OCOP evaluation criteria, including products characteristic of tourism such as fish sauce, shrimp paste, peeled shrimp, grilled mackerel, etc. However, the implementation process has also encountered many difficulties, such as Cua Lo town not being a beneficiary of the National Target Program for building new rural areas, so the implementation of the OCOP Program has not created the necessary momentum and decisive involvement from local authorities at all levels (the "One Commune, One Product" program is a requirement in the criteria for building new rural areas in the new phase).
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| Locals in Cua Lo process peeled shrimp. Photo: Thanh Chung |
Furthermore, funding for the implementation of the OCOP program is lacking. Most processing facilities and production establishments in traditional craft villages still lack documentation proving food safety and hygiene, compliance with production requirements, environmental hygiene standards, quality control certificates, product codes, barcodes, traceability labels, and product labels.
In 2021, Cua Lo town will strive to develop 2-3 provincial-level OCOP products such as peeled shrimp, squid patties, and mackerel patties. To support and encourage OCOP-achieving products, in addition to provincial policies, the town has also developed a project to apply science and technology in the exploitation and processing of clean products, creating products to serve tourists. Specifically, the town will have a support policy for each product achieving 3 stars (30 million VND); 4 stars (40 million VND); and 5 stars (50 million VND).
However, to develop OCOP products, in the coming time, it is essential to have more decisive involvement from local authorities at all levels, especially ward leaders who understand that building and implementing OCOP products for their locality is about elevating the brand, increasing the value of the product, creating a distinctive product for their ward, and ultimately creating a tourism product for Cua Lo. |
| Grilled mackerel over charcoal is a popular and attractive dish in Cua Lo, favored by tourists. In early November 2015, the Cua Lo Grilled Mackerel Production and Business Association was established with 28 members. The association has registered an exclusive trademark for its vacuum-packed products. |
Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda work through mass media, especially the ward's radio system, and through meetings to encourage production and business establishments in the area to register for the OCOP Program, promptly complete the necessary documents regarding trademark registration, codes, barcodes, traceability labels, food safety and hygiene compliance, and environmental protection plans for production facilities. In addition, the town needs to allocate budget to partially support the implementation of the town's OCOP Program in the coming time.
