The implementation of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme in Lac Son district has so far resulted in the enhanced values of products involved as well as the expansion of markets and consumption links.
After receiving
the 3-star OCOP certification, Thanh An honey products, produced by the Thanh
An agricultural and general services cooperative in My Thanh commune, have been
sought after by various organisations and individuals as gifts.
With the district's support in branding work, doi (Michelia tonkinensis) seeds
from Chi Dao commune became the first product to earn a collective trademark by
the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam. The commune has so far established
a 20-member cooperative providing doi saplings and related agricultural
services. The OCOP product received a 3-star certification at the provincial
level in 2019.
Another notable product is the 3-star "Phu Luong chili,” distinguished by its
unique aroma and spicy flavour.
Lac Son is also renowned for its specialty Ri chicken, a native breed adapted
to the limestone mountainous region, known for foraging naturally, hence its
thin skin, low fat, and firm meat. The local poultry population has grown
significantly, reaching millions of birds, concentrated in highland communes
such as Quyet Thang, Cong Hoa, and Dai Dong. Several cooperatives have been
established to raise and supply Lac Son chickens to markets within and beyond
the province, such as the Huong Nhuong hill chicken farming cooperative and Chi
Thien hill chicken farming and supply cooperative.
Notably, the Lac Son Party Committee’s Resolution No. 12-NQ/HU, dated April 7,
2023, on land consolidation and the development of OCOP products, set a goal
that by 2025, each commune and town will have at least one OCOP product, and
the district at least one achieving a 4-star rating or higher.
To date, Lac Son has 15 OCOP-certified products, including one 4-star and 14
3-star ones. The local authorities are currently assisting producers in
completing and standardising six more OCOP products for 2024, including doi
seed salt, pickled bamboo shoots, snail sausage, green-necked duck, seasoned
turmeric powder, and herbal chicken eggs.
According to Phan Thi Hanh, deputy head of the Lac Son Department of
Agriculture and Rural Development, the OCOP programme has effectively leveraged
the potential and strengths of each locality to develop high-quality products
that meet regulatory standards, enhancing competitiveness and satisfying market
demands. Evidence of this can be seen in the improved consumption of certified
OCOP products, which are now sold directly and via e-commerce platforms,
receiving high praise from customers for their quality, design, and
traceability.
The programme has also sparked a strong entrepreneurial movement, fostering the
development of clean agricultural production areas and high-tech farming linked
to product value chains, contributing to increasing income for rural residents
and ethnic minority communities in the district.
According to data from the Hoa Binh Provincial Party Committee, the industrial production index for the first six months of 2025 is estimated to have increased by 20% compared to the same period last year. This marks the highest year-on-year growth rate for this period since 2020.
In the first six months of 2025, Hoa Binh province’s export turnover was estimated at 1.145 billion USD, marking an 18.11% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Import turnover was estimated at $ 804 million, a 17.15% increase, which helped the province maintain a positive trade balance.
The lives of the ethnic minority farmers in Tan Lac district have gradually improved thanks to the new directions in agricultural production. This is a testament to the collective strength fostered through the professional associations and groups implemented by various levels of the district’s Farmers’ Union.
With the motto the "product quality comes first,” after nearly one year of establishment and operation, Muong village’s Clean Food Agricultural and Commercial Cooperative, located in Cau Hamlet, Hung Son Commune (Kim Boi district), has launched reputable, high-quality agricultural products to the market that are well-received by consumers. The products such as Muong village’s pork sausage, salt-cured chicken, and salt-cured pork hocks have gradually carved out a place in the market and they are on the path to obtaining the OCOP certification.
In the past, the phrase "bumper harvest, rock-bottom prices" was a familiar refrain for Vietnamese farmers engaged in fragmented, small-scale agriculture. But today, a new spirit is emerging across rural areas of Hoa Binh province - one of collaboration, organisation, and collective economic models that provide a stable foundation for production.
Maintaining growing area codes and packing facility codes in accordance with regulations is a mandatory requirement for agricultural products to be eligible for export. Recently, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hoa Binh province has intensified technical supervision of designated farming areas and packing facilities to safeguard the "green passport" that enables its products to access international markets.
