A selection of 28 items has been certified under the National One Commune One Product (OCOP) Program, with several five-star items picked for introduction to US supermarkets. 

The news was released at an OCOP product evaluation conference organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) in Hanoi on January 16.

Some ceramics are under evaluation for national OCOP product categories. Photo: Tung Nguyen/The Hanoi Times

Among the 21 food products awarded five stars by the OCOP are Hao Dat Cooperative's tea from the northern province of Thai Nguyen, Ba Che yellow flower tea from Dap Thanh Forestry Business Company in the northern province of Quang Ninh, Thanh Ba purple bud tea from UT Investment and Development Company in the northern province of Phu Tho, and Hung Lo Cooperative's clean rice noodles in Phu Tho.

Two items in the "traditional medicine" category under review are the liver detoxification supplement from An Xuan Organic Herb Co., Ltd in the central province of Quang Tri and the SAPHRATON health supplement from Sam Sam Pharma in the central province of Quang Nam. 

In the handicrafts category, bamboo lamp from Duc Phong Company in the central Nghe An Province was listed in addition to two community tourism offerings namely Tay ethnic cultural tourism by Thai Hai Company in the northern province of Thai Nguyen and Ecohost Hai Hau by ECOHOST Consulting and Investment JSC in the northern province of Nam Dinh.

Tran Thanh Nam, Deputy Minister of MARD, said that many have released OCOP products as popular Tet gifts. So far, Vietnamese OCOP products have got positive feedback from consumers and relevant authorities.

OCOP products are now making their way to international markets, with many manufacturers adapting their products to international standards, he said. MARD is stepping up trade promotion efforts, including participation in international agricultural fairs, and plans to select some five-star OCOP products for US supermarket chains.