OCOP Ca Mau - Going up in a difficult position

Ca Mau has a coastline of 254km, the climate and soil are suitable for growing crops and livestock, so it has many advantages to participate in the OCOP program.

OCOP Honey RUM CM product, bottled from natural honey of U Minh Ca Mau forest.

After 10 years of implementing the National program on building a new countryside with 43/82 recognized communes, Ca Mau's rural appearance has become more and more prosperous, infrastructure has been developed, and people's lives have been improved. Although it is a good condition for Ca Mau to implement the OCOP program. But basically, Ca Mau is still a remote province, with poor river transport infrastructure, poor irrigation system, and requires large capital for annual maintenance and dredging.

Moreover, the production organization is still small and fragmented, the value of agricultural products is still low and not stable and sustainable. Consumption of agricultural products is mainly in raw form, and the service industry in rural areas is low, so the awareness capacity to implement the OCOP program is still limited.

Despite the complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic and the raging African swine fever, Ca Mau still made great efforts in implementing the OCOP program. OCOP products mainly belong to the food group: Crab, shrimp, three-knot, mudskipper, dried fish, salted fish, fried fish cake, tub melon, oyster cake, shrimp puff... it is considered a famous specialty of Ca Mau province.

Chopsticks made of mangrove trees - OCOP Ca Mau products at the display point of Tu Ty Co., Ltd.

In particular, the most are shrimp products such as: traditional shrimp puff pastry, shrimp puff pastry made from black tiger shrimp, shrimp puff pastry made from ground shrimp, dried shrimp, roasted shrimp, shrimp paste, organic dried shrimp, shrimp sawed, peeled dried shrimp, etc. Other products from crabs and fish… also promise to have many potential markets at home and abroad.

OCOP Ca Mau products are taking off

The present success is the result of a combined effort of the authorities at all levels, the support of the residents and local businesses. However, in order to implement the OCOP Program for the period of 2021-2025 with orientation to 2030, and to successfully implement the national goal of building a new rural area in Ca Mau province in the near future, it is necessary for sectors at all levels as well as the locals to continue to strive for success.

According to Mr. Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee, in order to specify goals, tasks and solutions to organize the implementation of the One Commune One Product Program, the People's Committee has developed a roadmap for implementation and specific task allocation, as well as synchronously implementing solutions, mobilizing social resources to carry out the Project effectively, contributing to the successful implementation of the National Target Program on building a new rural area, thereby building the OCOP product brand in Ca Mau province, effectively executing trade promotion activities, and expanding product consumption markets.

The point of display and sale of OCOP products is at Tu Ty Stop, Rach Goc Town, located on the way to Dat Mui Ca Mau.

According to Mr. Su, in the period of 2021 - 2025, Ca Mau province has set a goal to strive for at least 5 products of 5-star standard and 90 others with 3-4 stars. Specifically, the province aims to build and develop tourism models that can be integrated to the OCOP program such as experience tourism, and community tourism.

The funding for the implementation of the 2021 - 2025 period amounts to more than 302 billion VND, of which the participating capital exceeds 102 billion VND. Not only that, capital from local programs and projects, state budget and other legal capital sources are also integrated to the total funding with the aim of focusing on production development.

Another focus of the goal is to concentrate on traditional products, products with a strong competitive edge which are capable of competing in the market, contributing to the economic development of rural areas. Furthermore, it also aims at supporting and creating favorable conditions for producers to sustainably develop OCOP products.

With the aim of successfully implementing the program for the period 2021-2025, the People's Committee of Ca Mau province has proposed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide support in the form of increasing investment resources in the OCOP program through the national target programs. This includes developing specific criteria as a basis for allocating investment capital for the OCCOP program, which consists of specific criteria for support such as: communes covering a large area; units in underdeveloped areas, units with a poor population, units in remote regions, and areas with low infrastructure.

In addition, the People's Committee of Ca Mau province also suggested that it is necessary for the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies to take responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant ministries and branches in developing specific credit policies to support subjects participating in the OCOP program, thereby creating favorable conditions for citizens to meet their capital needs, ensuring the implementation of the OCOP program until 2025.

Thuy Duong (Translated by Nhat Huy)