(HBO) – With the sponsorship of Bread for the World, the Centre for Social Initiatives Promotion (CSIP) coordinated with the Association of Farmers in the northern province of Hoa Binh and the Association of Women in the northern province of Lao Cai to organise a workshop on June 18 to review the implementation of a project on supporting social enterprises for sustainable and innovative rural development for the 2016-2019 period.
From January 2016 to June
2019, the project has brought about new changes and new steps of development
for community-based social enterprises, bringing long-term benefits for local
communities in Hoa Binh and Lao Cai provinces.
Delegates at the workshop are introduced about
agricultural products made by social enterprises in Hoa Binh province.
The project has supported 60 community-based
social enterprises and brought direct benefits for 1,168 locals as well as
helped improve the quality of life for 13,707 others.
In Hoa Binh, the project has been carried out in
Tan Lac, Lac Son and Yen Thuy districts, which have the highest rate of poor
households in the province.
Eleven social enterprises active in agriculture
and services were selected to implement the project. They were consulted by
experts on organisation, production and business plan-making, financial
management, and market connection as well as had an opportunity to share
experience with partners from Lao Cai. Social enterprises were also supported
with capital and seeds with a total amount of 360 million VND (15,416 USD).
At the workshop, leaders from the Hoa Binh
Association of Farmers and Lao Cai Association of Women shared experience in
coordinating and implementing the project’s activities in their localities.
They proposed building plans developing community-based social enterprises in
the two provinces in the future./.
Dao Village’s honey – a product certified with a 3-star OCOP (One Commune One Product) rating by Thong Nhat Agricultural Cooperative in Dao Village (Hoa Binh City) – is highly regarded by consumers for its quality, richness, and variety in packaging. The distinctively sweet taste of Dao Village’s honey leaves a lasting impression on anyone who has tried it.
In alignment with Project No. 07-DA/TU, issued by the Hoa Binh provincial Party Committee on November 1, 2021, Lac Thuy district has actively promoted investment and supported the sustainable development of its industrial and handicraft sectors during the 2021–2025 period. Alongside this, the district has remained committed to preserving and revitalising traditional craft villages.
Located in the northern part of Lac Thuy district, with a temperate climate and fertile soil, Phu Thanh commune has great potential and advantages in growing tea. The long-standing experience, combined with strict adherence to organic farming practices in the tea gardens, ensures that the dried tea products from Phu Thanh and Lac Thuy as a whole are sold out immediately upon production, providing a stable and prosperous life for the local people.
Amid efforts to streamline the administrative apparatus, Hoa Binh province has intensified measures to address challenges in land clearance, resettlement support, and infrastructure investment, aiming to speed up the progress of key projects.
Hoa Binh province has posted an unprecedented economic growth rate of 12.76% in the first quarter of 2025, marking its highest quarterly performance to date and positioning it as the second fastest-growing locality in the country, trailing only Bac Giang province.
Under current regulations, products in the One Commune – One Product (OCOP) programme that are rated three stars or higher must undergo re-evaluation every three months. However, in reality, some of these products fail to consistently meet the required standards, raising concerns about the sustainability of their OCOP certification. This underscores the urgent need for producers to enhance product quality and gradually develop their OCOP products into strong, marketable brands.
