Chairman of Bac Lieu Provincial People's Committee Pham Van Thieu said that the OCOP Program is a key program for economic development in rural areas towards promoting internal resources and increasing value; it is an important solution and task in implementing the National Target Program on new rural construction in the 2021-2025 period.
However, the implementation of the OCOP Program in Bac Lieu still faces many difficulties and shortcomings. Many OCOP products have not been able to penetrate deeply into the market, while the demand of people and tourists is very large. The reason is partly because the province has not done a good job of trade promotion and finding outlets for products.
The representative of Doan Ket Clean Vegetable Cooperative (Bac Lieu City) shared that in the production of vegetables in general and the cooperative's chive flower products in particular, the consumption of products is still uncertain. Currently, for chive flower products of Doan Ket Clean Vegetable Cooperative, it has linked with a number of units to supply products, but the quantity is not much. The cooperative is in need of expanding the market to supply products, not only OCOP chive flower products but also many other products.
Discussions from localities such as Dong Hai district, Gia Rai town, and Bac Lieu city showed that the OCOP products of these localities are similar. Dried shrimp, dried fish, dried fish, shrimp paste, goby fish, fish balls, etc. are all the same, the only difference is the production address. From this reality, the representative of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dong Hai district said that local products are mainly pre-processed and processed, not deeply processed, product packaging is simple and has no brand, and the consumption market is mainly within the province.
A representative of a large supermarket in Bac Lieu province - where OCOP products are consumed - stated the reality: Production facilities have not fully met the necessary conditions to bring goods into the supermarket system such as: lack of quality declaration, food hygiene and safety certification; unable to maintain output and quality; not ready to issue VAT invoices, not proactive in promoting products, especially not considering the modern distribution system as a target market.
Faced with this reality, Chairman of Bac Lieu Provincial People's Committee Pham Van Thieu requested relevant units to build and form separate and unique OCOP product distribution chains to create highlights and promote consumption of OCOP products; promote supply-demand connection activities, especially connection right from the production stage, creating a connection between production and the market. Supporting economic entities participating in the OCOP Program to develop environmental protection plans during production and business; ensuring food safety conditions, building and registering self-declaration of product quality according to regulations also needs attention.
Chairman of Bac Lieu emphasized: We must identify potential products and advantages of the locality; call on and mobilize young people to participate in start-up models with agricultural products and products from the rural economy related to the OCOP Program; support entities to develop OCOP products in the communes so that people have the conditions to access and participate in the OCOP Program...
Up to now, Bac Lieu province has had 145 OCOP products recognized, of which 31 products have met 4-star standards and 114 products have met 3-star standards for 69 entities. 2 products of refined salt and Bac Lieu grain salt are completing procedures to request the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to recognize 5-star OCOP products.
