Vinh Linh develops raw material zones for OCOP Products

Implementing the “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) program, businesses and cooperatives in Vinh Linh District have recently focused on developing raw material zones linked to high-quality agricultural products that showcase local uniqueness, advantages, and branding. This effort has opened opportunities for building collaborative production chains, and fostering sustainable agricultural and rural economic development.

The 50-hectare cajeput plantation for raw materials operated by Bac Hien Luong Medicinal Herbs Joint Stock Company is located in Vinh Thuy Commune, Vinh Linh District. Photo: M.H

In recent years, essential oil extraction has been thriving in Vinh Linh District. In 2023, the Vinh Chap Ecological Agriculture Cooperative was established in Vinh Chap Commune, specializing in natural herbal essential oil extraction, with eucalyptus and lemongrass oils as its main products.

Initially, the cooperative relied on sourcing raw materials from other localities, which often caused production delays due to supply shortages, price fluctuations, and high transportation costs. To stabilize production, the cooperative developed its own raw material zone, covering 3.3 hectares, primarily planted with eucalyptus trees.

Nguyen Thai Duyen, Director of Vinh Chap Ecological Agriculture Cooperative, shared, “From experience, we found that eucalyptus suits the local soil and climate well. Each hectare yields 7-10 tons of fresh eucalyptus, and one ton of leaves can produce around three liters of essential oil. Currently, we produce an average of 40 liters of eucalyptus oil and 80 liters of lemongrass oil per month. While our current cultivation area doesn’t fully meet production demands, it has significantly improved our control over raw material supply.”

The cooperative has also invested in additional equipment to enhance production processes and received local government support in branding, packaging design, and developing OCOP products. In September 2024, the cooperative’s eucalyptus essential oil achieved a 3-star OCOP rating and became the first ISO 9001:2015-certified production facility in Vinh Linh District. Plans are underway to expand the cultivation area to ensure smoother production and further enhance product quality.

Currently, about 10 businesses and cooperatives in Vinh Linh operate in medicinal plant production. Many have established raw material zones to ensure a steady supply, such as Bac Hien Luong Medicinal Plant JSC in Thuy Ba Dong Village, Vinh Thuy Commune, which has a 50-hectare eucalyptus zone, and Ben Hai Forestry Company, which manages a 3-hectare eucalyptus area.

The district has also encouraged localities to consolidate farmland, creating raw material zones for value-added processing and participation in effective value chains, thus generating jobs and income for workers. In 2024, the district approved the “Establishing an Eucalyptus Raw Material Zone for Essential Oil Extraction in Vinh Tu and Vinh Chap Communes” project, covering 4.3 hectares, with a total budget of over VND388.4 million, including VND162.8 million from state funds and VND225.6 million from participating households.

As of September 2024, Vinh Linh has 14 OCOP products, including three 4-star and eleven 3-star products. The district has developed several certified organic and VietGAP raw material zones, focusing on key local products such as pepper, rice, livestock, and fruit trees.

These include 31.5 hectares of pepper certified under Vietnamese organic standards, 3.69 hectares of VietGAP-standard pepper, 5 hectares of VietGAP-certified rice at Dang Xa Cooperative in Vinh Lam Commune, 7 hectares of oranges at Ben Quan Fruit Cooperative, and 4.5 hectares of VietGAP-certified watermelons at Huynh Cong Tay Agricultural Cooperative in Vinh Tu Commune.

These raw material zones are crucial for expanding high-quality OCOP products, aiming to boost production, improve incomes, and promote rural economic restructuring.

By 2025, Vinh Linh aims to have 20 OCOP products rated from 3 to 4 stars, with at least two achieving 5-star national status. A key criterion for OCOP products is their strong local identity, tied to structured production in large-scale, stable raw material zones that can meet market demand.

Looking forward, Vinh Linh District plans to implement policies that encourage agricultural development. This includes supporting large-scale commodity production zones linked to storage, processing, and sales; consolidating land for agricultural production; and promoting key crops and livestock suited for commercial production. It also focuses on developing locally distinctive products through commercialized agriculture, restoring traditional crafts, and applying scientific, technological, and digital solutions to enhance and monitor the quality of raw material zones for OCOP products.

To gradually establish and develop large-scale, stable raw material zones, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has advised the Provincial People’s Committee to submit several resolutions and support policies to the Provincial People’s Council. These initiatives aim to promote the formation and development of large-scale, focused commodity production zones that incorporate preservation, processing, and product sales; concentrate and consolidate land for agricultural production; and provide support for key commercial crops and livestock. Additionally, they encourage the development of distinctive, high-potential local products geared toward commercial production.

Efforts also focus on assisting localities to develop new products based on the advantages of raw material zones, reviving traditional crafts and villages, and applying scientific, technological, and digital solutions to enhance and monitor the quality of OCOP product raw materials.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hong Phuong, the 2024 OCOP program theme is “Developing OCOP Products Linked to Key, Distinctive Local Raw Materials.”

The target is to upgrade, standardize, and certify an additional 25-30 products with 3- or 4-star ratings, re-evaluate and re-certify products recognized by the Provincial People’s Committee in 2021, and assist with upgrading the star ratings of products recognized from 2021 to 2023. The program will also complete a 5-star OCOP product development project and a project on community-based tourism and tourist sites for the 2023-2025 period.

Production organization will be strengthened by linking household producers with cooperatives and enterprises, aiming for 4-6 agricultural cooperatives to achieve OCOP certification. Priority and support will be given to developing OCOP products connected to key, distinctive raw material zones of each locality, fostering sustainable production chain linkages.

My Hang - Ngoc Mai