Connecting OCOP products with consumers

In recent years, many products of Binh Duong with high quality have created a reputation and been highly appreciated by domestic and foreign consumers. Especially, for units and production facilities that meet “One Product Per Commune” (OCOP) standards, their products have been supported on the market, helping Vietnamese goods originating in Binh Duong spread widely.

Capturing consumer trends

Teacher Phuong fresh sausage production facility in Bau Bang district is one of 19 typical establishments and units with products achieving 3-star OCOP standards in 2022. Bui Thi Doan Phuong, owner of the facility said that the facility was established in 2015, with manual production of all stages. As of now, the facility has been equipped with a number of relatively modern machines, raw materials from fresh pork, safe spices, to produce the products of spring rolls, banh tet (cylinder glutinous rice cake), fresh sausages... at requirements on food safety and hygiene, with high nutritional quality. Along with that, the unit has invested in product packaging machines with delicate design, helping Teacher Phuong brand of fresh sausage create an impression on consumers.

Not only the above products, high-quality products produced in Binh Duong have identified their right strength, potential and brought the local OCOP products to neighboring provinces and cities. For example, some OCOP products, namely green skin pomelos of Mai Quoc 3 farm in Dau Tieng district; drinking water with Lingzhi, honey and cordycep in Tan Uyen city; bananas of An Dien Co., Ltd. in Ben Cat town… have created a reputation and been highly appreciated by consumers.

Particularly, grasping the consumer trend, which increasingly attaches importance to food items that meet standards, safe quality, establishments and units in Binh Duong have focused on clean, organic production and said no with chemical pesticide and fertilizer products. Typically, Thanh Kien Guava Agricultural Cooperative in Phu Giao district has always adhered to the care processes from watering, putting down fertilizer to making pest control by prioritizing the use of organic fertilizer and other environmentally friendly measures, optimally meeting the demand for food under new consumption trends. In addition, the cooperative has actively participated in fairs of Vietnamese goods in and out of the city to approach and capture consumer trends, thereby creating many new improvements, investing in machinery systems, equipment and centralized management softwares controlled by smartphones…The cooperative's modern and scientific production process has helped meet the domestic and international markets’ demand for fresh and quality fruits. That's reason why Thanh Kien Cooperative's guava has been exported to Japan, Australia, Dubai (UAE), Oman, Singapore, India... The product was recognized as the 3-star OCOP in 2022.

Connecting with the market

According to Nguyen Thuy Hang, Deputy Director of the Trade Investment Promotion and Industrial Development Center under provincial Department of Industry and Trade, the fact that establishments, cooperatives and enterprises have products with OCOP standards has demonstrated their efforts in the journey of brand name building. This is also one of the driving forces to promote Binh Duong's brands, gradually expanding consumption channels at home and abroad.

Over the past time, along with the efforts by production units, the industry and trade sector took many support measures such as coordinating with relevant agencies and units to popularize Vietnamese goods; connecting enterprises with domestic and foreign consumption markets through programs to connect the supply and demand of goods, implementing trade promotion activities, market stabilization programs; strengthening market inspection, control and management activities to create favorable conditions for enterprises to develop production and business... As a result, the “Vietnamese people give priority to using Vietnamese goods” campaign has brought high results.

However, there are still many difficulties and challenges for change. The competitiveness of the units is not high, and it is not possible to create a firm foothold in the market. Therefore, for OCOP products coming closer to consumers through modern supermarkets and distribution channels, enterprises need to equip basic and complete legal bases for products as well as production facilities.

Provincial Center for Trade Investment Promotion and Industrial Development will also further support and advise enterprises in finding markets, sources of customers as well as legal advice and support programs to facilitate units’ development, creating many quality products while taking measures to expand their distribution network, best meeting people’s consumer demand, thereby further opening the flow of goods, creating a foothold for Vietnamese goods right in the province as well as other provinces, cities and abroad.

Reported by Thanh Hong-Translated by Kim Tin