Cooperative leaves imprints with 5 national 5-Star OCOP products

These certified 5-star OCOP products are not just a source of pride; they also prove the effectiveness of developing organic agriculture linked to distinctive local products.

Recently, the National OCOP Product Evaluation and Classification Council recognized five products from Nam Yang Agriculture and Services Cooperative (Kon Gang Commune, Gia Lai Province) as 5-star OCOP. This recognition not only affirms the position of these unique local products but also opens doors for them to reach the global market.

'Sweet success' from organic agriculture

Nam Yang Agriculture and Services Cooperative is making a strong impact, with all five of its products achieving national 5-star OCOP status in its very first participation in the OCOP program. The Cooperative's 5-star OCOP products originate from two of the area's characteristic brands: Le Chi Pepper and Dak Yang Coffee.

With Le Chi pepper, which was once widely known, local residents have gradually rebuilt organic pepper growing areas to help their local brand reach international markets. The red pepper here has a sweet, fruity flavor combined with a pungent spiciness, and local people consider it a valuable herb.

Meanwhile, Dak Yang coffee is closely tied to the name of its raw material region. In the Bahnar language, 'Dak' means water, and 'Yang' means sky god. The coffee beans here are nourished by the water of the sky god. Combined with traditional organic farming methods that rely on the local soil and climate, they produce coffee beans with a special flavor.

Mr. Nguyen Tan Cong, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Nam Yang Agriculture and Services Cooperative, stated that right after its establishment in 2017, the Cooperative aimed to develop Le Chi pepper and Dak Yang coffee products organically.

From that foundation, the Cooperative continued to develop products that achieved OCOP certification, seeing it as a "passport" to better market access.

With the 5-star OCOP products, the Cooperative wants to optimize production processes and demonstrate to customers that the products ensure food safety and hygiene from the farm to the consumer.

"To achieve 5-star OCOP products, the Cooperative linked with farming households from the very beginning to develop organic agriculture," Mr. Cong shared. "Along with support for workshops from the State, the Cooperative ensures that production equipment meets standards to move towards deep processing of the products."

According to Mr. Cong, the 5-star OCOP evaluation criteria include many factors that must be met, such as the product's local regional characteristics, the Cooperative's bringing together many members for production, and the product's achieving certifications like Global GAP, VietGAP, and organic. Additionally, the Cooperative must have a clear production process, demonstrate the use of by-products, and show environmental protection efforts. Furthermore, the Cooperative must prove it has export contracts.

Farmers transform, products reach far

As a member of Nam Yang Agriculture and Services Cooperative, Mr. Doan Anh Tuan (Group 1, Kon Gang Commune) shared that his family has been cultivating coffee for over 20 years. After graduating from university and returning home, Mr. Tuan pondered why his family worked so hard but experienced unpredictable seasons with good harvests one year and low prices the next. From then on, Mr. Tuan thought more about producing high-quality coffee grown organically.

At that time, producing coffee in this way was still very new. Fortunately, his family received support from Nam Yang Agriculture and Services Cooperative to participate, cooperate, and exchange experiences to produce high-quality coffee.

Not only that, the Cooperative also provided significant support regarding market access and guided his family to produce organic coffee according to US and European standards.

"Currently, my family has 5 hectares of coffee and pepper that have achieved organic certification from the US and Europe," Mr. Tuan shared. "This is also the fourth year my family has registered for organic certification according to standards and participated in the Cooperative to develop 5-star OCOP products."

Mr. Nguyen Tan Cong stated that after the products achieved 5-star OCOP, the Cooperative has two parallel goals: focusing on market connections and continuously improving the products, from quality to label and packaging design. Accordingly, the Cooperative plans to boost promotion and consumption through traditional channels and e-commerce. At the same time, it will expand organic farming areas and prepare a plan to build a systematic brand story for each product.

"We want to commercialize products with unique regional characteristics, thereby bringing benefits to the Cooperative in particular and the local people in general," Mr. Cong shared.

Mr. Nguyen Kim Anh, Head of the Kon Gang Commune Economic Department, reported that recently, the National OCOP Product Evaluation and Classification Council recognized five key agricultural products from Nam Yang Cooperative as 5-star OCOP.

The Cooperative's achievements have provided direction for developing organic agricultural products in the future. These are also key products aimed at exporting to larger markets.

"For OCOP products in the area, we are currently reviewing all products that have been achieved recently, as well as setting directions to promote development and enhance the value of processed products," Mr. Kim Anh said.

"Furthermore, we are focusing more on product quality and traceability to ensure consumer trust. This is also a condition to improve quality and prices in the market, creating the best possible sales outlets for the products."