Ha Giang province dedicates itself to the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program, aligning it with local advantages and preserving traditional craft villages

In line with the new rural development implementation plan, Ha Giang province is firmly committed to the substantial development of rural industries, the augmentation of cooperative efficiency, support for entrepreneurial endeavors in rural areas, and the refinement of vocational training for rural laborers.

Augmenting OCOP income

Following the implementation plan of the National Target Program on New Rural Development for the 2021-2025 period, Ha Giang has outlined ambitious targets. By 2025, it aims for over 51% of communes to meet income criteria, for 100% of communes to fulfill labor criteria, and for 97.7% of communes to satisfy rural economic criteria. These criteria are integral components of the National Criteria for New Rural Communes.

To attain these objectives, Ha Giang is devising a comprehensive strategy. This involves the restructuring of the agricultural sector and the transformation of the rural economy towards a circular economy. The province will establish models that integrate value chains with quality standards and raw material area codes, promote the application of high technology in production, alter crop structures, and champion the digital transformation in agriculture. The province is especially dedicated to the implementation of the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program, aligning it with local advantages, and embarking on initiatives to preserve and foster traditional craft villages.

Mr. Hoang Gia Long, Standing Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Giang province, has underscored the achievements of the OCOP program. Initiated in Quan Ba district in March 2018, the program has facilitated the development of a variety of products, including medicinal herbs, honey, and tea. These OCOP products have expanded their market presence and now boast a competitive edge across the entire province.

Over the course of five years, Ha Giang's OCOP program has classified 278 products, with 231 adhering to 3-star standards and 45 attaining 4-star standards (provincial level). Remarkably, many of Ha Giang's OCOP products are the creations of ethnic minorities. Moreover, Ha Giang currently boasts two OCOP products that have garnered 5-star standards at the national level, specifically green tea (100-gram box) and black tea (100-gram box), produced by the Phin Ho Tea Processing Cooperative in Hoang Su Phi district. These products are attributed to the Red Dao ethnic community.

Ha Giang's OCOP products have significantly bolstered job creation and income generation, contributing to the reduction of hunger and poverty in the province. They have harnessed the province's potential and strengths, thereby accelerating local socio-economic development.

Over the 2021-2025 period, Ha Giang will continue to support the development of products associated with community tourism destinations, such as Shan Tuyet tea, medicinal herbs, and brocade weaving. The province will also focus on the development of community tourism villages, collectively working to transform the province's rural landscape.

Aligning with agricultural and rural tourism

Some OCOP products such as Meo Vac honey, ceramic oranges, cows, Quan Ba seedless persimmons, Lung Pu black pigs and Ma Pi Leng wine that are distinct to the province have received geographical Indication certification. To ensure the sustainable development of OCOP products, the Provincial People's Committee has solicited businesses, both within and outside the province, to partake in scientific and technical investments. These endeavors are designed to enhance product quality continually, expand production, and augment the consumption of the province's exclusive OCOP products. Furthermore, this promotes the development of agricultural and rural tourism interconnected with OCOP products.

The Rural Tourism Development Program is considered a pivotal solution and task to drive rural economic growth in Ha Giang, in the 2021-2025 period. The development of diverse forms of community tourism in ethnic minority regions contributes not only to preserving cultural traits and traditional craft villages but also to the elevation of local residents' income.

The province aims to drive rural economic growth by prioritizing the Rural Tourism Development Program as a pivotal solution and task in the 2021-2025 period

Substantive change in material and spiritual well-being

According to Mr. Hoang Gia Long, localities within the province have steadfastly concentrated on achieving income criteria as part of new rural development. To actualize the goal of augmenting income levels, communes have proactively introduced innovations in production, transitioning from small and fragmented production methods to consolidated production. This has involved prioritizing the development of interconnected production chains, augmenting product value, and ensuring effective land use. In agricultural production, in addition to launching promotional campaigns and rallying communities to reconfigure crops and livestock and mechanize production processes, the establishment of cooperatives has yielded substantial economic benefits.

Elevating income levels is unequivocally the principal focus, not solely for communes that have met new rural standards, but across all regions in Ha Giang. Employment and income-related issues play pivotal roles in the new rural development process. Therefore, within the existing conditions, local party committees and authorities must invest in the creation of high-tech agricultural production models, harmonize production with processing and consumption, and lay the foundation for rural industrial development. This will in turn stimulate trade and service activities at the grassroots level, foster the sustained development of handicraft industries, and, importantly, ensure job stability and income growth for all citizens.