The product development value chain OCOP in the Mekong Delta region

OCOP helps increase rural income

The forum is being held in Rach Gia City from September 29 to October 3, featuring 320 booths displaying OCOP products from cooperatives, craft villages, businesses, organizations, and individuals from the Mekong Delta region along with various provinces and cities across the country. This event coincides with the traditional festival commemorating the 156th anniversary of the national hero Nguyen Trung Truc's sacrifice (1868-2024).

Mr. Giang Thanh Khoa, Vice Chairman of the Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee, expressed that Kien Giang is honored to host the "OCOP Product Connection Forum for the Mekong Delta 2024". This is an annual event organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the region, which is increasingly expanding in scale and offering a wider variety of quality products to meet growing demands.

The forum serves as a venue for networking, sharing experiences, showcasing products and promoting trade opportunities for OCOP products, not only within the Mekong Delta but also among regions across the country.

According to Mr. Khoa, Kien Giang has a population of approximately 1.75 million and boasts significant potential for marine economic development. Alongside tourism as a strength, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries are the pillars of the economy. In 2023, the province's economic scale reached over 5.3 billion USD, ranking second in the Mekong Delta, with an average income 3.000 USD/year.

Regarding the implementation of policies for agricultural, farmer and rural development, by the end of 2023, the entire province had 110/116 communes meeting the new rural standards, 19 communes meeting enhanced new rural standards, and 7/15 districts and cities achieving the new rural construction task. The average income in rural areas reached nearly 2.400 USD/person. 

For the OCOP program, the province currently has 269 products recognized as OCOP products from more than 138 entities. Trade promotion activities have been strengthened, with many local specialties and OCOP products entering supermarket systems. Additionally, many centers for introducing and promoting OCOP products, typical agricultural products and rural industrial products have been established in the province.

Development space for OCOP products

The Chief of the Central Rural Development Coordination Office, Mr. Ngo Truong Son, evaluated that after 6 years of implementing the One Commune One Product Program (OCOP), the whole country now has more than 14.000 OCOP products from nearly 7.800 entities achieving 3 stars and above. Among them, the Mekong Delta has nearly 3.000 OCOP products rated at 3 stars and above. This region has advantages in developing distinctive OCOP products that reflect the area's characteristics due to concentrated raw materials in fisheries, rice and fruits.

The forum connecting OCOP products in the Mekong Delta 2024 is a significant event for the region, playing an important role in forming a space for connection, exchange, sharing and cooperation in the production, promotion and trade of OCOP products from the Mekong Delta. Additionally, it serves as a space for consumers and distribution companies to access, experience and trade OCOP products.

The forum connecting OCOP products in the Mekong Delta is an annual activity. After three iterations (Dong Thap in 2022, Ca Mau in 2023 and Kien Giang in 2024), the forum has become a “space” for sharing, learning, networking and contributing to the development and growth of entities and OCOP products in the Mekong Delta, both in quantity and quality.

The forum connecting OCOP products in the Mekong Delta for 2025 will be hosted by the People's Committee of An Giang Province.

Within the framework of the forum, there will be activities such as an exhibition of OCOP products from various regions across the country, providing opportunities to explore and connect with many quality products. The "Outstanding OCOP Products of the Mekong Delta 2024" competition aims to promote impressive and distinctive images of OCOP products from the Mekong Delta provinces. Additionally, there will be conferences, seminars, and signing of cooperation agreements to enhance trade connections and expand the market for OCOP products domestically and internationally.