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| An OCOP product displaying point at the Trí Sơn Trading and Service Company Limited in Mỹ Tho City in Tiền Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Trí |
TIỀN GIANG — The Mekong Delta province of Tiền Giang is enhancing the promotion of products recognised under the national "One Commune, One Product" (OCOP) programme at its tourism sites.
Võ Văn Lập, head of its Sub-department of Rural Development, said that his agency, in collaboration with other relevant organisations, is supporting community-based and agricultural tourism sites to showcase and sell OCOP products through the province's tourism information portal.
These products represent the province's key strengths in agriculture and tourism services, he said.
The sub-department is also assisting tourism service providers in improving the quality of community-based tourism, including agricultural, rural, homestay, and farmstay services, and helping them establish and decorate exhibition spaces to display and sell OCOP products, he added.
Tiền Giang has 328 OCOP products rated three stars or higher including food, beverages, herbal medicines, tourism-related items, and others.
The programme's implementation in Tiền Giang has enhanced product quality and value, increased producers' incomes, and expanded market reach for many recognised products.
As the country’s largest fruit-producing province, Tiền Giang features numerous community-based and agricultural tourism sites that display and sell OCOP products, further boosting local incomes.
For instance, Tiên Ân Cordyceps Co., Ltd. in Gò Công Tây District’s Vĩnh Hựu Commune operates a tourism site cultivating over 100 medicinal plants.
Visitors can participate in activities such as cordyceps cultivation and enjoy food and beverages made from medicinal plants.
Here, the company’s OCOP cordyceps products are displayed along with activities like biscuit and incense making, rice planting and traditional games.
Trần Thị Luôn, its deputy director, said showcasing OCOP products at the site has significantly helped promote them and connect with consumers.
At Ba Đức Ancient House, located in Đông Hào Hiệp ancient houses village in Cái Bè District, visitors can explore its tourism services and buy its three-star OCOP shrimp chips.
Phan Văn Đức, its owner, said both Vietnamese and foreign tourists like to buy the shrimp chips as gifts and enjoy learning about the chip-making process.
Similarly, the Đông Nghi Agricultural Co-operative in Châu Thành District’s Tam Hiệp Commune, which raises around 300 dairy goats, offers tourism experiences.
Visitors can try goat farming and sample its six OCOP products made from goat milk.
The co-operative receives 200-300 visitors on weekends and holidays and 50-100 on other days.
Đặng Văn Tuấn, deputy director of the province Department of Industry and Trade, said to help co-operatives and businesses sell OCOP products, his agency has established display and sales points for OCOP and speciality products.
This encourages sustainable production, motivates producers to improve quality and helps them build strong brands to increase product value and sales, he said.
As of the end of 2023, the province had established 13 sites showcasing 263 OCOP products.
According to local authorities, the OCOP programme has boosted rural incomes and contributed to the development of modern rural areas.
In the first 11 months of the year, Tiền Giang received 1.53 million tourists, including 530,000 foreigners, a 15 per cent increase year-on-year.
Tourism revenue were worth VNĐ1.1 trillion (US$43 million), up 20.9 per cent. — VNS
