Rural economic development: [Final] Value chains for OCOP products

Elevating OCOP products

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Rural economic development: [1] When areca leaf sheaths become circular economy product

The value of agricultural products can hardly be increased if production and consumption remain limited to raw commodities. Recognizing this, many cooperatives and businesses in Da Nang have shifted toward developing OCOP products along value chains, linking production with tourism, processing, and markets to increase added value.

At Go Noi Green Agriculture Cooperative in Go Noi commune, the Cooperative's 3-star OCOP-certified essential oil products are not simply showcased at outlets or sold through retail channels. Instead, the Cooperative takes tourists to its raw material areas, allowing them to see firsthand how the crops are cultivated, hear the story behind green production, and witness the essential oil distillation process.

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Rural economic development: [2] Potential of countryside tourism

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kieu Anh, Director of the Cooperative, said that organic and circular products find it difficult to compete on price with mass-produced industrial goods. To establish a firm foothold in the market, they must create distinctive value, from product quality to the story of the land, production methods, and the people behind the products.

"We began offering rural tourism tours combined with promoting the story of producing clean essential oils in mid-2024. The initial results have been quite positive, with tourist numbers growing steadily. Through tourism, the value of agricultural products has increased many times over, while customers have gained greater confidence in the products and returned to place orders more regularly," Ms. Kieu Anh said.

If tourism brings customers closer to products, then processing and brand building open up opportunities for OCOP products to reach international markets. The story of My Phuong Food Co., Ltd. in Hoa Khanh Nam Ward is a case in point.

Two of the company's products, TOPCOCO Sesame Toasted Coconut Cake and TOPCOCO Peanut Toasted Coconut Cake, have been recognized as 5-star OCOP products at the national level and are exported to 20 countries. According to Ms. Mai Thi Y Nhi, Director of My Phuong Food Co., Ltd., the company was founded with the ambition of enhancing the value of coconuts grown in her hometown of Tam Quan, Gia Lai.

Ms. Nhi noted that from the initial goal of serving the Da Nang tourism market, TOPCOCO toasted coconut cakes have so far been exported to 20 countries. Participation in the OCOP program has helped the company standardize its products, strengthen brand recognition, expand trade connections, and facilitate access to international markets.

"OCOP is not merely a certification; it is a driving force for businesses to continuously improve product quality. We will continue to invest in and develop more products made from Vietnamese agricultural products and expand our export markets in the coming period," Ms. Nhi said.

Value chains create sustainable livelihoods

To date, Da Nang has 477 OCOP products, including four 5-star products, 80 4-star products, and 393 3-star products. Of these, 19 products have been exported to the U.S., China, South Korea, Thailand, France, and several other markets, generating estimated revenue of approximately VND 50 billion in the first six months of 2026.

These figures highlight the significant potential for indigenous products to become a driving force for rural economic development. However, OCOP can fully realize its value only when it forms a value chain linking raw material production, processing, tourism, trade, and consumer markets, thereby creating more jobs, increasing incomes, and generating sustainable livelihoods for local people.

According to Ms. Vu Thi Bich Hau, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Agriculture and Environment, the city has soon developed and promulgated support policies, creating favorable conditions for local authorities and OCOP subjects to proactively implement the OCOP program, develop rural tourism, build new rural areas, and promote sustainable poverty reduction.

In 2026, Da Nang strives to have around seven to eight communes, equivalent to 10–11.4% of the total number of communes, recognized as meeting the new rural area standards under the National Criteria for the 2026–2030 period. The multidimensional poverty rate is expected to fall to 4.69%, including approximately 1.31% in urban areas and 8.58% in rural areas. By 2030, the city aims to reduce the multidimensional poverty rate in rural areas to 4.86%.

To achieve these targets, supporting individual production activities alone will not be enough. More importantly, sufficiently extensive value chains must be established so that a greater share of product value remains in rural areas and is distributed among raw material growers, processing workers, tourism households, service providers, and local communities.

"More importantly, OCOP products must be developed along value chains. Rather than simply selling individual products, businesses need to establish linkages across production, processing, experiences, and consumption, and integrate these with local tourism. This is the sustainable path to increasing product value and creating momentum for rural economic development," Ms. Hau emphasized.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dai, Chief of the Central Coordination Office for the National Target Program, said that OCOP products need to be integrated into a complete value chain linked to rural tourism, trade promotion, and exports. In addition to improving product quality, localities should focus on building brands, expanding markets, and turning local cultural values into competitive advantages.

According to Mr. Dai, the success of an OCOP subject should be measured not only by revenue, the number of stars, or export markets but also by its ability to expand raw material areas, create jobs, and provide sustainable livelihoods for local people.

"The Central Coordination Office for the National Target Programs will continue working with ministries, sectors, and localities to step up the promotion of OCOP products at trade fairs and trade promotion events at home and abroad, thereby expanding market access opportunities for OCOP subjects," Mr. Dai stated.

When raw material production, processing, tourism, and markets are connected into a value chain, each OCOP product can create additional employment, services, and income opportunities for local communities. This is an important resource for Da Nang to develop its rural economy, achieve sustainable poverty reduction, improve living standards in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, and effectively implement the National Target Program for the 2026–2030 period.

$ 1 = VND 26,460 - Source: Vietcombank.