The scale of OCOP product production of many entities is still small
Speaking at the Conference "Connecting and promoting the consumption of OCOP products" held on the afternoon of September 29 organized by the Industry and Trade Newspaper in coordination with the Department of Water Market Management and Development, Mr. Bui Nguyen Anh Tuan - Deputy Director of the Department of Domestic Market Management and Development (Ministry of Industry and Trade) - assessed that the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program for the period 2021-2025 has become one of the important solutions to promote economic development in rural areas in the direction of promoting local advantages, increasing value, creating jobs, and increasing income for people.
To date, the country has had over 132 OCOP product introduction and sales points, with over 17,000 products recognized as meeting OCOP standards from 3 to 5 stars, of which over 120 products meet national 5-star standards.
In addition to the achieved results, according to Mr. Bui Nguyen Anh Tuan, the program also has limitations and difficulties: Support funds from the state budget are still limited; points of sale have not been introduced and widely promoted on communication platforms; lack of websites, social networks, QR codes to introduce products, limiting the ability to reach customers.
Along with that, there is a lack of connection between points of sale to form a consumption chain; lack of retail and customer care skills; limited display space, no product experience area; the production scale of many entities is still small; the ability to innovate and improve product quality is not high.
Mr. Bui Nguyen Anh Tuan said that these are issues that require strategic orientations for the next stage.
In the coming years (2026 - 2030), when the OCOP Program is approved, with roles, positions and functions, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will propose that the Program continue to be implemented synchronously, widely, integrated, combined with cultural and tourism experiences; strengthen the construction of facilities, human resources and choose points of sale at potential locations (tourist areas, stations...).
The program aims to increase the ratio of OCOP products to 4-5 stars nationwide in general and in each locality in particular, developing in accordance with the two-level local government; strengthening the participation of entities, expanding the channel of connection, consumption, and linking OCOP with tourism;
"Not only that, the program also aims to strengthen the application of the digital economy in management, operation, and connection of e-commerce platforms; upgrading packaging, labels, QR codes, traceability, quality control; developing OCOP products to ensure sustainability and environmental protection..." - Mr. Bui Nguyen Anh Tuan emphasized.
Upgrading product rating from 3 - 4 stars to 4 - 5 stars
To promote the sustainable effectiveness of the OCOP Program, Mr. Nguyen Ba Hai - Deputy Director of the Center for Industrial and Trade Investment Promotion, Trade Promotion Agency said that the Agency has identified clear orientations with 4 focuses.
First, support to upgrade products from 3 - 4 stars to 4 - 5 stars, meeting national and international standards. "Upgrading is not just about adding stars, but also about raising the entire value chain from raw materials, production processes to packaging, and traceability," Mr. Hai analyzed.
Second, strengthen the connection of cooperatives with large distribution and export enterprises, in order to build stable and long-term consumption channels. We consider this a vital factor for OCOP products to not only remain stable domestically but also go out to the world, said Mr. Hai.
Third, promote the bringing of OCOP products to domestic and foreign e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Alibaba...; at the same time, coordinate with technology and logistics corporations to train cooperatives in digital skills, online promotion, livestream sales. According to Mr. Hai, this is the shortest way for Vietnamese products to access the global market.
Fourth, integrate the promotion of OCOP products into the National Trade Promotion Program and the National Brand Program, thereby building the image of Vietnamese OCOP products associated with quality, sustainability and cultural identity.
