Central Vietnam to facilitate global expansion of OCOP products

We visited the production facility of Tuan Linh Clean Mushroom Production and Agricultural Business Cooperative (Tuan Linh Cooperative), situated in Son Ly village, Dong Trach commune, Quang Tri province. This cooperative is acknowledged for possessing two products that have attained 5-star OCOP certification, one previously awarded in Quang Binh province and the other currently in Quang Tri.

Ms. Ngo Thi Kim Lien, Director of Tuan Linh Cooperative, stated that the cooperative primarily cultivates and processes high-value specialty mushrooms, including wood ear, shiitake, oyster, king oyster, reishi, and chicken drumstick mushrooms. Ms. Lien stated, "We produce consumer products from these mushrooms, including mushroom fibers, teas, health supplements, and vegetarian fish sauce for individuals adhering to vegetarian or specialized diets". 

Following almost six years of operation, Tuan Linh Cooperative has launched high-quality items that have garnered positive reception in the market. In recent years, its vegetarian fish sauce and wood ear mushrooms have been recognized as outstanding rural industrial products in the Central and Central Highlands areas.

Annually, the cooperative manufactures around 300,000 mushroom cultivation bags, resulting in 300 tons of fresh and dried mushrooms. The cooperative has utilized this raw material to create many product lines, including beverages and food, all possessing high nutritional value and adhering to significant OCOP quality standards. As of now, Tuan Linh Cooperative has achieved recognition for 14 goods under the OCOP program. We are currently working day and night to fulfill orders for supermarkets and wholesalers across the country,” Ms. Lien said.

She states that the 3-star OCOP product category has 9 items: oyster mushrooms, snow mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, blackjack tea, solanum procumbent tea, pennywort herbal tea, reishi green tea, reishi extract, and Tuấn Linh shiitake seasoning powder. The four-star category comprises reishi tea, sliced spore-bearing reishi mushrooms, and whole reishi mushrooms. By the conclusion of 2024, Quang Binh province had submitted two Tuan Linh products, wood ear mushrooms and vegetarian fish sauce, for 5-star OCOP designation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (or MARD, now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment).

Tuan Linh Cooperative has concentrated on implementing innovative technology, encompassing organic manufacturing and VietGAP requirements. Their products have appealing packaging, accurate labeling, traceability tags, and comply with food safety and environmental standards. “So far, we have various tea products and OCOP-certified items introduced to markets such as Japan, Thailand, and Laos, receiving high praise from customers and partners. Ms. Lien observed that, despite being conducted through unofficial methods, these exports establish a platform for accessing larger markets.

In response to increasing market demand, the cooperative has created vegetarian fish sauce technology for individuals on specialized diets. Ms. Lien elucidated that premium mushrooms are purified and fermented with sea salt (aged for more than 18 months), thereafter extracted to produce the sauce. “Annually, we manufacture and provide approximately 10,000 liters of premium vegetarian fish sauce,” she stated.

Tuan Linh Cooperative is presently collaborating with local labor organizations to enhance production and augment supply. These collaborations have established secure employment and income for over 400 local workers, emphasizing assistance for women with disabilities and families in poverty or near-poor. “The cooperative employs 25 individuals, each receiving an average monthly salary exceeding 6 million VND,” Ms. Lien stated.

Speaking at the meeting on the morning of July 4 regarding the revision of the OCOP product evaluation criteria and process, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha stated that the “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) program has entered a new phase. It can no longer remain at the local level but must evolve into a national brand that is protected and promoted through appropriate policies.

According to him, each OCOP product must tell a unique story connected to its cultural and historical roots, while meeting food safety standards and incorporating science, technology, and digital transformation. “Whether produced by individual households, cooperatives, or communities, if a product meets national standards, the State must protect its brand and support its expansion to international markets,” said the Deputy Prime Minister. He emphasized the need for a unified strategy in building a national brand for OCOP, stating, “To step beyond Vietnam’s borders, these must be recognized as national goods".