Tra Vinh Party Committee Secretary Ngo Chi Cuong takes a look at OCOP items

Duong Hoang Sum, director of Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, noted that the success of these events in Cau Kieu district not only contributes to bolstering economic benefits for local One Commune, One Product (OCOP) items, but also presents an opportunity for the management agencies, individuals and businesses to work together in promoting the distinct wax coconut brand.

“The occasion also fostered connections in the community as well as cultural exchanges between different ethnic groups living in Tra Vinh and in other parts of the country through business transactions, experience sharing, and tourism promotion which involved tailored green tours to diverse destinations along Hau River in Cau Ke district,” Sum said.

He added that the wax coconut tree, the speciality of Tra Vinh and Cau Ke district particularly, has recently seen marked improvements in consumption thanks to active contribution from local businesses and co-operatives. Long-term cooperation between garden owners, businesses, and cooperatives has been formed and constantly strengthened.

The province is currently home to more than 100 items made from wax coconut tree, of them 15 products have won OCOP recognition of three stars or more.

Tra Vinh’s coconut products are now present on supermarket shelves abroad thanks to Nguyen Thi Cam, the owner of Cam Hang wax coconut jam unit based in Cau Ke township, who acts as a supply intermediary for export supply to two businesses in Ben Tre and Binh Duong provinces with a volume reaching thousands of coconuts a year.

In addition, Hoa Tan wax coconut cooperative, with 43 members and wax coconut area reaching 32 hectares, has been working with businesses and garden owners to ensure it can provide to the domestic and export market with about two million units a year. Its wax coconut products have reached 4-star OCOP recognition and have been supplied mainly to markets in Hanoi and localities in the central region.

Last year, Hoa Tan cooperative inked contracts on product supply to two businesses in Ben Tre and Ho Chi Minh City to raise consumption.

Besides that, Phat Dang Co., Ltd. produces diverse products from wax coconut such as King Coco wax coconut jam and ice cream, and frozen wax coconut fresh, in which two products won 3-star OCOP recognition. Each year, the company consumes more than 120,000 wax coconut fruits.

To bring forth Tra Vinh wax coconut tree’s immense potential, it requires diverse startup programmes from the local business community, along with incentives to attract investment from coconut businesses at home and abroad leveraging support from local management authorities in terms of policies and development orientation.

However, wax coconut tree development in Tra Vinh lacks well-conceived planning, facing the danger of degradation. In addition, quick expansion of the coconut area could lead to the supply outpacing the demand, causing difficulties in consumption, local experts say.

To support wax coconut development, Tra Vinh has expedited diverse resolutions of the People’s Council, such as a resolution in 2021 to support agricultural sector restructuring in the province towards 2025, particularly supporting local households to shift into growing wax coconut trees.

Small and medium-sized businesses operating in coconut processing and trading in the province have also benefitted from a related support scheme since 2022.

Experts assume that to effectively develop Tra Vinh’s wax coconut tree value chain, it is important to push up promotion in diverse channels to big overseas markets. Efforts also need to put into building a sapling cultivation centre and ensuring inclusive observation of development, expediting relevant plans in collaboration with local farmers and businesses for the goal of propelling research and consumption.