Since late 2018, Bac Giang has officially implemented the OCOP programme. Thanks to communication on purpose, meaning together with timely guidance and support, the programme has attracted more and more participants.

In the first round of OCOP evaluation and classification in 2024, Tam Thuy Bac Giang Company Limited in Dinh Ke ward participated with two products including: Brown rice vermicelli and rice noodles (register to receive 3 star title).

Because it is the first participation, the above business is guided, supported and consulted by the city's specialized departments to implement standards, product stories, set up records and traceability stamps.

This year, Hoang Gia Clean Food Cooperative in Ba village of Tan My commune brought Che lam product to participate in the evaluation and classification of 3 star OCOP rating. Accompanying the cooperative, the communal People's Committee assigned the officer in charge of the program to directly support the subject during dossier completion.

Through reviewing and evaluating the quality and development potential, the competent agencies in the city have guided and supported 11 subjects to complete dossiers requesting evaluation and classification of 26 OCOP products, including 24 new products. These are all typical and traditional local items such as: Da Mai five-color dried vermicelli, Da Mai gio cake, 3S lean and fat pork paste among others.

The statistics showed that Bac Giang city now has 38 OCOP products of 9 entities (1 company, 5 cooperatives and 3 business households) that are rated 3 stars or higher (36 products of three star and two product of four star).

With the number of recognized products, Bac Giang City is considered one of the localities that well implement the program. After being certified, Bac Giang City organizes events, fairs, trade connection seminars and displays to advertise and promote trade so as to help entities with OCOP products introduce them to consumers. The economic value of products is increased by 20% or more thanks to meeting OCOP standards.

Along with developing new products, Bac Giang City focuses on consolidating and upgrading the quality of recognized ones. For example, Tin Nhiem Livestock and Clean Food Service Cooperative in Dong Son commune is a famous food business in Bac Giang.

Luu Van Nhiem, Director of the Cooperative, said only two products of Cooperative were firstly rated three star in 2019, including pork and pork paste. Then he invested more in the production chain; raised thousands of pigs in Dong Son commune and Lang Giang district to ensure clean raw material sources.

At the same time, the Cooperative enhanced research, improved formulas and developed new products. Currently, the it has 7 products meeting OCOP 3-star standards which are distributed at a number of supermarkets and self-selected stores in the province and other provinces and cities.

This year, the cooperative built two new 3-star products, including lean and fat pork paste and pig ears as well as upgraded mushroom pork paste to 4 star standard.

Meanwhile, Vifoco Import-Export Joint Stock Company in Bac Giang City has 2 products that have just been submitted to participate in the 5-star OCOP assessment, including: Bac Giang lychee and Bac Giang longan.

These are two deeply processed products, initially approaching the international market. In addition, on this occasion, the Company also registered two new products: IQF potato and IQF lychee to be 4-star OCOP product and overcome the limitations of the 3-star whole-grain sweet corn product to upgrade to 4 star rating.

In the coming time, Bac Giang City will continue to develop new products, maintain and upgrade the recognized ones. The municipal authority encourages entities to invest and apply advanced science and technology in production, preliminary processing, preservation and processing while offering various of courses of training, fostering and building capacity for OCOP subjects on digital transformation.

Due attention is paid to promoting advertisement and trade promotion of OCOP products as well as clearly defining market segments.

Khoi Nguyen