Focusing on Deep Processing to Elevate OCOP Products
The One Commune, One Product (OCOP) Program remains a key driver of Lam Dong's rural economy. However, to sustain production and enhance product quality, deep processing has been identified as a crucial pathway forward.
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The OCOP Program in Lam Dong has received intense attention and implementation from authorities at all levels and localities. As a result, the range of products has expanded significantly, leveraging local natural advantages and traditional practices to reach a wide distribution across communes and wards.
In Hoa Bac Commune, Vo Duc Nghia and his wife have operated a coffee roasting and grinding business for more than three decades. In 2024, their ground coffee product earned a three-star certification at the provincial OCOP evaluation. Nghia said continuous investment in machinery upgrades, packaging improvements and product diversification has helped maintain competitiveness while preserving the family’s traditional trade. Despite being produced in a remote area, Hong Nghia ground coffee has built a stable distribution network through agents and coffee shops both inside and outside the province.
Meanwhile, in Bac Ha Commune, the DILIN Agricultural Product Processing, Trading and Service Cooperative has pursued a deep-processing strategy for macadamia products instead of selling raw nuts. Leveraging the locality’s concentrated macadamia growing area, the cooperative has developed value-added products such as cocoa-flavored nuts, cheese-flavored kernels, macadamia tile cookies and macadamia biscuits.
According to Pham Thi Ut, director of the DILIN Cooperative, product diversification has helped extend the value chain, reach new customer segments and enhance competitiveness. With systematic investment in processing technology and an annual output of around 150–200 tons meeting export standards, the cooperative’s products are now distributed not only domestically but also in markets including the Middle East, Malaysia and Taiwan.
Mr. Vu Hong Long, chairman of the Hoa Bac Commune People’s Committee, said practical experience shows that deep processing combined with standardized quality management is essential for maintaining OCOP rankings, upgrading star ratings and ensuring sustainable growth in both domestic and international markets.
Despite strong potential in raw material regions, businesses note that linking OCOP producers with major corporations remains challenging, while meeting technical standards requires significant financial and technological investment. Many producers therefore continue to operate on a small scale, limiting investment in packaging innovation, processing depth and technological upgrades. For some stakeholders, maintaining stable production has become a “difficult equation,” let alone improving OCOP classifications.
According to the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Lam Dong currently has 914 OCOP-certified products, including 839 three-star and 75 four-star items. By creating new product lines, increasing value-added processing and improving farmers’ incomes, OCOP products have played an important role in strengthening rural economic development and expanding agricultural value chains across the province.