Belonged to 182 products evaluated and classified above, 152 products are still valid for "OCOP Product" certification from 3 stars or more: including 05 five-star products, 10 four-star products, 137 three-star products of 105 economic entities (09 Cooperatives, 02 Cooperative Groups, 20 Enterprises, 74 are production establishments/business households); There are 30 products which has expired the recognition certification for 36 months and in the process of re-evaluating and classifying OCOP products according to regulations.

In 2024, the OCOP Product Evaluation and Classification Council at all levels in the province organized 18 evaluation and classification sessions for products participating in the OCOP Program for 66 products certified as "OCOP products" with 3 stars or more from 49 economic production entities.

Products participating in the OCOP Program include mainly products belonging to the food product industry group accounting for 82.78%, the beverage industry accounting for 13.25%, the handicraft industry accounting for 3.31% and the community tourism service, ecotourism and tourist attractions industry accounting for 0.67%. For the pharmaceutical and medicinal products and ornamental plants industry groups, up to now, there have been no products in the province that have been recognized as OCOP 3 stars or higher.

On that basis, tourist goods and services are of local origin, with cultural values and local advantages; especially regional specialties, craft village products, tourism services based on strengths and advantages in natural conditions, raw materials, knowledge and indigenous culture. OCOP products are gradually affirming their value and quality in the market, gaining the trust of the people. In particular, OCOP products certified with 3 stars or higher have been selected as gifts at important conferences and business trips.

In particular, at the Mekong Delta OCOP Product Forum organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Kien Giang province, An Giang province had 02 products of 02 entities winning the award of "Typical OCOP product at the Mekong Delta OCOP Product Connection Forum in 2024", including the products: Steamed Linh fermented fish of An Giang Vegetables and Foodstuff Joint Stock Company and Palm sugar powder of Palmania Joint Stock Company.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the OCOP Program has received the attention and direction of localities, the participation of the entire political system from the province to the grassroots, especially the role of provincial departments, branches, and organizations in evaluating and classifying OCOP products. Through that, localities have seen the potential and strengths to have appropriate policies and solutions to develop OCOP products, especially to preserve and develop traditional industries of the locality; Many policies and guidelines have been specified and implemented to encourage enterprises to organize production, support consumption, and apply high technology; Propaganda and mobilization work is regularly implemented, thereby contributing to motivating production entities to participate in the OCOP Program, change awareness, improve and enhance product quality, expand scale, upgrade equipment and production lines to create quality products that meet the requirements when participating in the OCOP Program and the domestic and foreign markets, abroad... Enterprises, cooperatives, and OCOP product production facilities have been implementing standard processes such as: VietGAP, GlobalGAP, ISO, HACCP... in the product production, which are production processes that ensure product safety, ensure the health of producers and consumers, protect the environment and trace the origin of products.

Achieving the above results, in 2025 An Giang will continue to support the development of OCOP products to improve the effectiveness of the OCOP Program, contributing to restructuring the agricultural sector associated with small-scale industry, occupations and rural tourism to develop the economy, increase people's income; preserve cultural values, protect rural landscapes and environments, contributing to perfecting a number of indicators and criteria in building new rural areas sustainably in the locality; Develop forms of production and business organization (prioritizing the development of Cooperatives, small and medium enterprises) to produce typical, traditional products, and services with advantages that meet standards, are competitive, and meet the requirements of the market and consumers.

Specifically, we must continue to implement and complete the goals and tasks of the OCOP Program such as: consolidating and establishing organizational structures at all levels and a consulting system to support the implementation of the OCOP Program; Improving the management, operation and implementation capacity of officers in charge of the OCOP Program, especially the management and operation capacity of the Entities participating in the OCOP Program.

At the same time, it is necessary to complete and specify support mechanisms and policies in implementing the OCOP Program to improve product quality, improve packaging and labels, implement traceability, protect intellectual property rights, etc. to support economic entities participating in the OCOP Program. Create bridges, links, promote and trade promotion to support economic entities with OCOP products to access many sales channels to consume products.

We will strive in 2025 for districts, towns and cities to continue to support the maintenance and improvement of local OCOP products and have new products and potential products by participating, evaluating, classifying and recognizing district-level OCOP products with 3-star certification, proposing to evaluate and classify provincial-level products with 4-star certification; Support economic entities with OCOP certified products to develop criteria according to regulations to evaluate and upgrade OCOP star ratings.

We also strive to have at least 50 - 60 products evaluated and classified as 3-star "OCOP Products"; at least 05 products will be evaluated and classified as 4-star "OCOP Products". At the same time, we’ll organize the review of OCOP products participating in evaluation and re-classification after the 36-month period expires (in 2025) and have at least 05 products to be proposed for evaluation and upgrading as "OCOP Products"...

To achieve the goal, An Giang promotes propaganda, mobilization and communication work for the OCOP Program on the media and press agencies; closely integrates the OCOP Program with the implementation of the National Target Program on new rural construction, restructures the agricultural sector, and develops the rural economy throughout the province to better understand the role, meaning, purpose and importance of the OCOP Program, thereby we will arouse the spirit of entrepreneurship and creativity of people and economic organizations, in which promoting the core role of associations and unions to regularly propagate to potential producers of OCOP products.

It is necessary to focus on training and coaching for members of the Council and OCOP Working Groups at all levels, managers, consultants of the OCOP Program and economic entities on the OCOP Cycle regarding identification of products participating in the Program; Prioritizing the development of potential products, new products, traditional industry products associated with preserving local culture, products using raw material by-products to increase value; expanding the scale, improving productivity, output, quality of certified products; developing products associated with value chain linkages associated with ecotourism and community tourism services; improving processing processes and technologies, especially processing and deep processing technologies; to improve product quality value through improving packaging, labels, etc.

In addition, it is necessary to promote the application of science and information technology in developing rural industries and tourism services associated with innovation, promote processing and brand building to improve the quality and value of OCOP products; Promote trade promotion, market development, and OCOP product promotion; apply digital technology in product consumption and sales; develop gift packages on the occasion of holidays and gifts; connect domestic and foreign markets; develop a network of OCOP product centers and points of sale in localities inside and outside the province; Research and gradually build a Center for creative design and OCOP product development associated with start-ups, promotion, introduction and tourism activities of the province.

We also shall promote cooperation activities, expand the OCOP product network in the region; enhance experience exchange, training, and trade promotion for OCOP products. Especially the application of information technology and digital transformation in the deployment, implementation, management and operation of the OCOP Program…/.

Source: Report No. 39/BC-SNNPTNT dated February 7, 2025 

News by Hai Nhu

Translation by Hoang Oanh