Participants at a recent workshop on promoting Ha Noi's handicrafts and OCOP products in Thach That District. — VNA/VNS Photo
In recent years, craft villages in Ha Noi's Thach That District have played an important role in economic restructuring, job creation, and income increase for workers.
To help craft villages promote their effectiveness, Thach That District has supported them in participating in the One Commune One Product (OCOP) Programme to promote brands and improve the quality and value of their products.
Kieu Duc Hoc from Dai Viet Arts Export Co in Binh Phu Commune, Thach That District said local bamboo and rattan craft villages have a long history and are famous for hundreds of products with beautiful and exquisite designs. Many of them have been recognised as OCOP products, such as his firm's Binh Phu rattan and bamboo products which have been exported to many countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, the Netherlands, and Germany thanks to their high applicability, suitable for customers' tastes.
Vu Thi Quy, the owner of a facility providing che kho (mung bean pudding) in Dai Dong commune, said that Dai Dong che kho was recognised as an OCOP product in 2020. It has been known to many consumers through promotion activities at trade fairs hosted by the Coordination Office of the New-Style Rural Development Programme of Ha Noi and the People's Committee of Thach That District.
Quy said her facility earns revenue of about VND200 million (over US$8,500) per year, creating regular jobs for nearly a dozen local workers.
Nguyen Van Chi, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office of Coordination Office of the New-Style Rural Development Programme of Ha Noi delivered his speech at the workshop. — VNA/VNS Photo
Meanwhile, Nguyen Trung Duc in the district's Canh Nau Commune, said that his family's furniture business specialises in producing wooden sofas, clocks, mahogany, tea cabinets, and worship items for customers in Ha Noi and neighboring localities, with an annual turnover of VND2 billion.
To help his facility expand its market and increase product value, the district has offered assistance in building brands and participating in the OCOP Programme, Duc said, expressing his hope that after his facility's wooden products have been achieved 4-star OCOP certification, its revenue will likely to increase to VND4-5 billion annually.
Thach That District is now home to 50 craft villages that have about 14,000 production households, recruiting over 37,000 workers. Of these, 10 craft villages have been recognised as traditional craft ones, said head of the Thach That District Economic Department.
These traditional craft villages have made an important contribution to its economic restructuring, job creation, and income increase for workers, Luong said.
He added that many OCOP products of craft villages have been praised by consumers for their quality such as wooden sofas, watches, and altars made by Nguyen Trung Duc business household in Canh Nau Commune and organic vegetables provided by Hoa Vien Farm in Yen Binh Commune.
Workers of Dai Viet Arts Export Co in Binh Phu Commune, Thach That District. — VNA/VNS Photo
Vice chairman of Thach That District People's Committee Nguyen Kim Loan considered promoting the OCOP programme one of the key tasks to develop the rural economy and improve farmers' lives.
To do so, his district will continue to develop craft villages while constantly improving the villages' product designs and quality.
In addition, the district has also offered financial support in vocational training, skill improvement, and trade promotion typically for OCOP products.
Besides production areas that have been recognised by local authorities, the district will develop more new ones to meet the living and daily needs of local people, striving for the average income of laborers in the district craft villages from VND6 million to VND10 million each person each month.
According to Nguyen Van Chi, Deputy Chief of the Standing Office of Coordination Office of the New-Style Rural Development Programme of Ha Noi, Thach That is one of the districts which has the highest number of OCOP products with 142 products. Of the total, 114 products have archived 4-star OCOP certification and 28 products have won 3-star OCOP certification.
These OCOP products have many improvements in quality, designs, packaging, the guarantee of conditions, and regulations, Chi said, adding that they are also typical products, which are the strengths of each locality in the district, capable of expanding and linking production to expand the market.
For craft villages in the district, their OCOP products will open up new opportunities in production, business, and market development at home and abroad.
To facilitate OCOP products in the district and Ha Noi, the city has launched dozens of points of sale to introduce OCOP products.
The district is striving to have 300 products that can archive 3 to 5-star OCOP certification by 2025. That will make it a bright spot in the implementation of Ha Noi's OCOP programme. — VNS