Re-recognizing OCOP products: Subjects are not "interested" yet

(QBĐT) - After more than 5 years of implementing the "One Commune One Product" (OCOP) program, Quang Binh has had many typical products recognized as meeting 3-star and 4-star OCOP standards, and especially, there are products with the potential for 5-star OCOP. However, despite the long-term implementation, there are still many subjects who are not enthusiastic or "keen" on evaluating and re-recognizing OCOP products.

Báo Quảng Bình•29/04/2025

Many products have expired certification.

Sharing about shopping at the supermarket in Dong Hoi, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhi, Loc Thuy commune (Le Thuy) said: Before, she often read information on newspapers so she knew about OCOP products. Once when she went to Co.opmart supermarket to buy dong vermicelli, she saw many vermicelli products from many different localities on the shelves. After a moment of hesitation, she read the information on the product packaging and decided to choose a product with an OCOP star. As expected, the product she chose was chewy and delicious. After that time, she trusted and chose this product for her family.

Ms. Nhi's story is an example affirming the value and quality that OCOP products have brought, not only to the products but also to consumers. However, currently, many subjects are still not "interested" in participating in the evaluation and re-recognition of OCOP products. The evidence is that many OCOP products have expired their 36-month recognition period, but the subjects still do not participate in submitting documents to re-evaluate or upgrade their products. In 2024 alone, the whole province has 26 OCOP products that have expired their recognition, and in 2025, there are 22 OCOP products that have expired their recognition.

Participating in the OCOP program is an opportunity for products to get closer to consumers.

In 2021, a product of Ms. NTS was recognized as meeting 3-star OCOP standards and by early 2024, the product's 36-month recognition period had expired. Up to now, although the recognition period has passed, the product has not yet participated in re-evaluation. According to Ms. S., due to many objective reasons, she has not participated in re-evaluation of the product because in order for the product to be recognized for re-evaluation, the documents and procedures must go through many stages, many steps and are time-consuming.

Self-assessment is one of the products with guaranteed raw material areas to serve large-scale production, up to tens of hectares and products exported abroad. However, one of the facility's OCOP products has expired but the subject is still not "interested" in participating in re-assessment. Ms. NTO, the owner of the facility, said: To participate in re-assessment, it takes a lot of time, procedures and money while the support budget is very little, not enough to encourage the product to participate.

In addition, some entities also said that after being recognized, many OCOP products have not had a breakthrough in expanding the market; and have not received much support for product output. Therefore, many entities are not really "keen" on re-recognizing OCOP products.

Need more preferential policies

The OCOP program aims to encourage production and business entities to exploit local potential and advantages to increase product value, contributing to increasing income and improving material and spiritual life in rural areas. However, according to the entities, although the implementation of the program has created positive aspects such as improved product quality, production according to the value chain scale, thereby promoting economic restructuring, rural labor structure... but the attention and support of local authorities for OCOP products is still limited, not creating motivation for entities to be "interested" in OCOP products.

Recently, the Provincial People's Committee has proposed to the Central Government to pay attention and allocate funds for the province to support economic entities to invest in applying science and technology in production, in order to increase the value and quality of OCOP products.

A 3-star OCOP subject shared: OCOP products only have a 36-month recognition period. To complete an application for OCOP product recognition, it costs 70-80 million VND, not to mention, completing the certificate documents takes a long time to do while the support level for each product is quite modest. Therefore, the fact that the product meets OCOP standards but the subject has to struggle to find an output is one of the reasons why some subjects are not enthusiastic about OCOP products.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Tuan, Deputy Chief of the Office of New Rural Area Coordination, Deputy Head of the Department of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development, said: In the past, the budget for implementing the new rural area construction program had to be allocated to many regular expenditure tasks, so the resources for implementing the OCOP program were limited. However, to promote the development of OCOP products, the locality has implemented many support activities for OCOP products and entities such as supporting funding for purchasing machinery, improving product quality; creating conditions for participation in trade promotion programs inside and outside the province. Thanks to that, many products are increasingly perfected and finding stable markets. In the coming time, the province will increase training, coaching, and trade promotion activities to bring OCOP products, regional specialties, and potential products participating in the OCOP program to supermarket systems and stores selling safe agricultural products and food.

D.N

Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/kinh-te/202504/cong-nhan-lai-san-pham-ocop-chu-the-chua-man-ma-2225952/