The OCOP Craft Village Exhibition, Trade and Product Introduction Program 2023 will be held in Ung Hoa District, Hanoi, from December 8 to 11 to celebrate the district's achievement of the new rural standard.

Local consumers shop at an agricultural fair in Ung Hoa district. Photo: Lai Tan

The event will feature around 100 booths showcasing more than 1,000 farm produce, processed food, and outstanding OCOP products from Ung Hoa District and 25 other provinces and cities.

Various side activities will also be organized, including hands-on experience in making OCOP products, cultural exchanges, local cuisine demonstrations, traditional games, and community networking among artisans and local people.

In 2023, the OCOP Classification and Evaluation Council of Ung Hoa District evaluated 28 products (26 new evaluations and 2 re-evaluations). Of these, 23 products were awarded three stars and five products were given a four-star OCOP rating, exceeding 8.3% of the targets set for the year. In total, 70 OCOP products were recognized.

Cao Thi Thuy, Director of Doan Ket Agricultural Production and Business Cooperative (Phuong Tu Commune), whose rice is an OCOP candidate, said that in order to improve the quality of rice, the cooperative has invested in a rice drying machine with a capacity of 300 tons per day.

In addition, the cooperative has developed a modern rice milling and grinding system that meets the required standards for distribution in supermarkets and retail stores, with the ultimate goal of exporting, she added.

Thuy said the cooperative sells an average of more than 7,000 tons of rice per harvest in Hanoi and several provinces and cities, including Bac Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho.

The District People's Committee's Economic Department, the Hanoi Coordination Office of the New Rural Construction Program, and intersectoral inspection teams have inspected businesses that have certificates of compliance with regulations on product quality, food safety, and environmental protection and found them to be generally compliant, according to the Economic Department.

To expand the reach of local OCOP products, the district has implemented programs to help businesses promote and sell their products at events inside and outside the city.

It has also provided support of over VND100 million ($4,113) to set up two pilot retail shops that showcase the district's strengths with traceable origins at the Doan Ket Agricultural Production and Business Cooperative in Phuong Tu Commune and Hien Luong Supermarket in Hoa Xa Commune.

In July 2023, the District People's Committee, in cooperation with the Hanoi Promotion Agency, successfully organized the 2nd Hanoi Agricultural Products Festival in Ung Hoa District.