OCOP - Highlight in New Countryside Development

A report released by the Central Office of New Rural Development at the National Conference on Rural Development 2020, by the end of May 2020, the country had more than 5,000 communes meeting standards of new countryside; 61 provinces and cities participated in the OCOP programs. The National Target Program on New Rural Development completed the 5-year goals (period 2016-2020) sooner than assigned by the Party, the National Assembly and the Government. Many good, creative, effective, practical and quality-assured methods are increasingly being developed and scaled up to mark a qualitative shift in the implementation of the National Target Program.

These positive results come from the awareness of the Party, government at all levels, the business community and cooperatives about the position of the program in rural economic development. Localities have drastically focused on tapping distinctive advantages for product development. OCOP products are highly rated for quality, variety of designs, packaging, assurance of conditions, certification stamps, labels, and traceability. Many products, after being evaluated and classified, have been purchased in large quantities by distributors, retailers, and e-commerce sellers. Joining economic organizations are strengthened and developed. Many young, qualified business owners and cooperative owners are quick-moving with market mechanisms.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Tran Thanh Nam said, “In practice, localities have done quite well with OCOP products which are locally characteristic. However, they need to further tap potential product advantages, inspire the community spirit of people, and upgrade products along the value chain.” The OCOP program requires many factors, especially actors. Main actors of the program are households, cooperatives, and small and medium enterprises, which necessarily move toward the value chain and support each other with the community spirit. “Once the value chain is successfully built, products will be gradually improved, not only in design and quality, but also in pride,” he said.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Chief of the Central Coordinating Office for New Rural Development, said, the OCOP program was launched not long ago but it has produced many positive results thanks to heightened awareness of the society, the Party, the government at all levels, the business community, cooperatives about the position of OCOP program in rural economic development. To date, certified OCOP products have made progress in quality, variety of designs, packaging, assurance of conditions, certification stamps, labels, and traceability. After being evaluated and certified, many OCOP products have been purchased in large quantities by distributors, retailers, and e-commerce sellers (e.g. BigC Trade Center, Vinmart and VNPost). Sales of star-ranked products have increased significantly year after year.

In the coming time, Vietnam will continue to scale up the OCOP program with heightened focus on quality as its principles and nature; further enhance the participation of communes, people and businesses in the OCOP cycle; and promote the development of locally unique, competitive products on the market.

At the recent OCOP training conference, a roadmap and development goals were introduced, with emphasis on completing OCOP standardization and recognition in 2020. Besides adjusting OCOP evaluation and certification criteria, localities will accelerate the progress of the program in 2020; develop 500 new small and medium-sized OCOP enterprises, especially cooperatives; consolidate all businesses and cooperatives joining the program; and scale up experience tourism and countryside tourism together with promoting and preserving traditional cultural values.

By Minh Ngoc, Vietnam Business Forum

THE PROGRAM COOPERATED WITH CENTRAL COORDINATION FOR NEW-STYLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT