FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu impressed by Vietnam’s OCOP Products

Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), led a high-level delegation on an official visit to Vietnam from February 5 to 8 at the invitation of Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) Le Minh Hoan.

The delegation’s first stop was the AgriTrade Center (under MARD), where Qu Dongyu was warmly received by Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Director of the Department of International Cooperation, alongside AgriTrade leaders.

FAO has been a key partner of the Central New Rural Coordination Office in the implementation of the OCOP (One Commune One Product) program since 2018. Qu Dongyu expressed his impression for OCOP products during his visit to the exhibition booths, observing that they not only possess visually attractive packaging but also effectively embody the essence of local culture.

He recognized that Vietnamese rice is becoming more popular in international markets as a result of its consistently high quality, distinctive aroma, and unique softness. The FAO Director-General has stated that Vietnamese and Chinese rice do not compete directly; rather, they complement each other, thereby reinforcing the cultural significance of rice in Asia and ministering to a variety of consumer preferences.

Vietnam has designated honey as its fragship One Country One Priority Product (OCOP). The program acknowledges that highland honey has a significant competitive advantage due to its extraordinary flavors, which are derived from longan, lychee, coffee, and cashew blossoms. The Vietnamese beekeepers are renowned for their eagerness to learn and their ability to rapidly adopt modern technologies, thereby effectively managing diseases and parasites without the use of chemical treatments. They have been able to produce high-quality, pure honey that meets global standards as a result of their commitment to sustainability and innovation.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu requested that FAO Deputy Director-General Godfrey Magwenzi of Zimbabwe and FAO Representative in Vietnam Remi Nono Womdim of Cameroon organize a delegation of African enterprises to visit Vietnam in order to examine the local product development model. He was particularly impressed with OCOP products that have achieved five-star certification. He stated that the FAO is prepared to support this initiative. 

He extended his congratulations to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) for its substantial advancements upon his return to Vietnam after a six-year. 

Simultaneously, the FAO Director-General expressed his profound awe for Vietnam's strategic transition from traditional agricultural production to the establishment of key industry ecosystems. 

He engaged in a friendly talk with Agritrade Director Nguyen Minh Tien after perusing the exhibition booths, during which he learned about the local agricultural specialties. He was overjoyed to observe the extraordinary transformation of Vietnamese agriculture. 

He encouraged producers to enhance environmental management in order to prevent resource degradation as production expands, while also acknowledging the growing professionalism of Vietnam's agricultural processing industry. Also, the FAO lead underscored the importance of sustainable production in establishing the trust of global consumers.