Ha Giang agriculture sector goes far with OCOP products

The OCOP program has been implemented in Ha Giang province since March 2018. In the period 2018 - 2020, the province has 193 OCOP products of 87 entities (8 enterprises, 64 cooperatives, 15 production households), belonging to 6 commodity groups: Food, beverage, herbal pharmaceuticals, handicrafts, fabrics, travel services and sales. Of these, there are 145 OCOP products with 3-star standards, 46 OCOP products with 4-star standards, and 2 OCOP products with 5-star national standards.

Mr. Hoang Hong Truong, Director of Ha Giang Sub-Department of Rural Development, says that OCOP products have their own designs and packaging. These products get supported in trade promotion and branding for intellectual property protection. Three key OCOP products of the province, including Ha Giang “Sanh” oranges, mint honey and ancient Shan Tuyet tea, have been put on sale at the Winmart supermarket chain.

Among the OCOP-starred products of Ha Giang province, there are two 5-star products named Green tea and Hong tea of Phin Ho tea processing cooperative at Thong Nguyen commune, Hoang Su Phi district.

Hoang Su Phi district currently has 1,470 hectares of certified organic tea; including 161 hectares certified to European Union standards.

In addition, Hoang Su Phi tea has a certificate of geographical indication and certificate of Vietnamese heritage tea. The district's tea products have been exported to a number of countries and regions, receiving high praise from customers.

With 2 OCOP tea products with 5-stars national standards, it will open up the prospect of brand development and improving the value of tea products of the province.

Following the success achieved in the OCOP program in the period of 2018 - 2020, in 2021, with the help of the Agriculture and Rural Development sector and local authorities, the entities in Ha Giang continued to complete the application and be recognized with 40 more products as 3 OCOP stars or above. 100% of OCOP products are electronically stamped or have codes and barcodes for traceability according to regulations.

In the crop year of 2021-2022, Ha Giang province's total orange area for harvest is around 7,700 ha, with an expected total output of roughly 77,800 tons. Ha Giang orange is mainly distributed in Bac Quang, Quang Binh, and Vi Xuyen districts.

Ha Giang province concluded that in order for orange trees to thrive and have a long and sustainable market presence, new disease-free, unique, and high-quality orange types must be planted.

Simultaneously, the province promotes propaganda and guides orange-growing households in adhering to VietGAP and organic standards; compiling statistics on the total area, output, and orange production units that adhere to standards, regulations, and quality, in order to conduct activities to promote product consumption. Crockery items fulfilling VietGAP criteria are anticipated to total 45,700 tons in Ha Giang province's 2021-2022 orange harvest, while yellow oranges are estimated to total 19,280 tons.

Step by step, Ha Giang province standardize and improve the quality of products participating in the OCOP program to ensure the compliance with domestic and international standards.

Mr. Phan Thanh Tuan, Director of Tuan Bang Trading - Transport Cooperative in Na Chi commune, Xin Man district, says that the tea products at his cooperative have just been recognized with 4 OCOP stars.

In addition to the quality of raw material area and the investment in machinery to help the cooperative diversify in terms of tea products and improve quality, the natural tea area at the foot of the Gio pass also contributes significantly to the products of cooperatives meeting OCOP standards. The cooperative is continuing to improve the quality and design of products to maintain the OCOP star and aim to upgrade the product to 5 stars standards.

With its prestige and reputation, many agricultural products of Ha Giang province, after achieving the OCOP star, have affirmed their brands and have a stable consumption market, becoming attractive and unique gifts, such as: Shan Tuyet tea, mint honey or jam, syrups, wine made from specialty ingredients of Ha Giang oranges...

According to Mr. Xin Thanh Quyet, Head of Crop Production and Plant Protection Office, Ha Giang Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection, there are three famous tea areas in Ha Giang: Lung Phin tea in Dong Van district, Phin Ho tea in Hoang Su Phi district and Cao Bo tea in Vi Xuyen district. But when talking about the origin of the tea tree in this rocky plateau, people often mention Cao Bo because this place has the oldest “elder” tea tree in the country.