Quang Ninh’s OCOP program helps enhance agricultural brand and tourism development
WVR - The "One Commune, One Product" (OCOP) program in Quang Ninh has gradually generated numerous products that serve the development of the tourism industry, establishing Quang Ninh's unique agricultural brand.
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| Many of the province’s OCOP products exhibit high quality, excellent designs, and have the potential for export to various markets. (Photo: BQN) |
In 2013, upon launching OCOP, Quang Ninh identified the program as a crucial economic development initiative with a domestic-oriented approach, fostering a strong, sustainable connection among producers, processors, and consumers.
A “companion” of farmers
Quang Ninh was the first locality nationwide to implement this program. Over three years, the entire province witnessed 180 economic organizations, establishments, and production households participating in the OCOP program, contributing over 210 products.
Among these, several products have not only dominated the domestic market but have also expanded to international markets, such as Quang Vinh pottery, Cai Rong fish sauce, and Binh Lieu cellophane noodles. The revenue from OCOP in Quang Ninh over three years reached nearly 700 billion VND, a substantial and commendable figure considering that OCOP products mainly comprise locally-made items of small values.
After a decade of OCOP implementation, Quang Ninh has 569 products of 6 groups, while 336 OCOP products from 13 localities have achieved ratings of 3 to 5 stars (246 products with 3 stars, 86 with 4 stars, and 4 with 5 stars).
The province has 219 production entities participating in the OCOP program (including 54 enterprises, 87 cooperatives, and 78 production households) and around 30 OCOP retail points and centers.
Quang Ninh has planned 17 concentrated agricultural production areas, integrating advanced technology into production. Many of the province’s OCOP products exhibit high quality, excellent designs, and have the potential for export to various markets.
The average income in the province’s rural areas has reached 45 million VND per person per year (compared to the national average of around 40 million VND), a 1.5-fold increase since 2015. The poverty rate in these areas has decreased to approximately 1%.
In recent years, the province has prioritized tourism development, connecting destinations and tourism routes with distinctive OCOP products to enhance the value of agricultural produce. This initiative aims to promote and simultaneously increase the attractiveness of Quang Ninh as a tourist destination.
The program has become a steadfast companion to farmers, contributing to elevating the value of traditional local products, creating more job opportunities, eradicating hunger and poverty, and the construction of new-style rural area.
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| OCOP products have been prominently introduced at annual tourism festivals within the province and major events such as the 31st SEA Games in Quang Ninh. (Photo: BQN) |
Building agricultural brandings
With the goal of establishing a brand for the province's agricultural products and fostering sustainable tourism, Quang Ninh has chosen a pivotal strategy of promoting and linking OCOP products to tourism development, offering enriching experiences for visitors.
From the beginning of the 2023 tourism season, alongside traditional forms of tourism like coastal, resort, and spiritual tourism, eco-tourism experiences within the province have attracted a significant number of tourists. Particularly, eco-tourism which combines with exploring, understanding, and purchasing OCOP products has left a lasting impression on both local and non-local visitors.
Furthermore, OCOP products have been prominently introduced at annual tourism festivals within the province and major events such as the 31st SEA Games in Quang Ninh, the 17th East Asia Tourism Forum (EATOF) in Quang Ninh, as well as tourism product promotion weeks within and outside the country.
Concurrently, the province is focusing on planning areas for raw material, establishing and managing OCOP labels into strong brands, standardizing and developing OCOP products along the value chain, aligning with production advantages and market demands.
Thus, Quang Ninh has created favorable conditions for organizations and individuals to invest in establishing agricultural processing plants, releasing land, creating raw material areas, and implementing preferential policies supporting infrastructure construction and investment in production facilities.
Leveraging the uniqueness of various products and regional specialties, the province consistently ensures product quality associated with local advantages, thereby stimulating market connections and fostering sustainable development for each OCOP product.
Nguyen Minh Son, Director of Quang Ninh’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, emphasized that with existing advantages, the province focuses on establishing connection between OCOP products and tourism development, diversifying tourism types, creating attractive experiences for tourists, boosting economic growth, and promoting local products. Eco-tourism linked with exploring, understanding, and purchasing OCOP products has particularly impressed tourists within and outside the province.
It's known that Quang Ninh aims, by the end of 2025, to have approximately 8 to 10 OCOP products achieving a five-star national rating; 100% of OCOP products will have electronic labels or barcode numbers for traceability and build a value chain in a circular economy approach, with sustainable OCOP linked to stable raw material regions.
To enhance the agricultural product brand, the province will continue facilitating favorable conditions for businesses to develop e-commerce, aligning with the trends of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Moreover, Quang Ninh will actively promote the construction and development of agricultural product brands, geographical indications, organize promotional activities introducing OCOP products associated with localities, and enhance business networking within and outside the province to bolster cooperation and linkage of sustainable production and consumption of OCOP and agricultural products.
