Kudzu powder product of Nhuan Trach agricultural services and starch processing cooperative in Dong Se hamlet, Nhuan Trạch commune, Luong Son district was certified as meeting One Commune One Product (OCOP)’s 3-star standard last year. For local residents, kudzu is a crop that helped them improve income, alleviate hunger and reduce poverty. The certification of the product is a prerequisite for local households to continue their production and expand their market.
Kudzu powder of Nhuan Trach agricultural services and starch processing cooperative in Dong Se hamlet, Nhuan Trach commune, Luong Son district has been certified as meeting One Commune One Product (OCOP)’s 3-star standard.
Hoang Trong Thu, director of the cooperative, has been involved in kudzu powder production for over a decade. The cooperative has nine members and a raw material area of nearly 10ha.
As kudzu powder is used directly so all processes from input to packaging follow safety standards, he said.
Due to suitable soil and climate in Nhuan Trach, the plant achieved high productivity. Thus, those involved in kudzu cultivation could improve their lives. However, there were times when the powder's price dropped significantly due to oversupply on the market.
Thu and other cooperative members were determined to build the Nhuan Trach kudzu powder brand with the desire to secure product sales for local farmers. Last year, the cooperative bought over 300 tonnes of fresh kudzu tubes from households in the locality with prices ranging from 17,000 - 18,000 VND (0.66-0.70 USD) per one kg.
Aiming to produce kudzu powder products that meet OCOP’s 4-star standard, the cooperative has devised a specific plan to apply modern equipment into production, thereby minimising costs and labour while improving productivity and quality.
In addition, it has tried to sell products at trade fairs, promoting them on social networks such as Facebook, Zalo and Youtube.
Hoang Van Bay, Vice Chairman of the commune People's Committee, said that kudzu powder is a typical agricultural product of Nhuan Trach.
In the coming time, the local administration will encourage people to continue expanding the material area, upgrading facilities to serve processing and improving product quality, he continued.
The official said that product promotion will be strengthened along with expansion of product marketing in big cities and neighbouring areas, thereby building the Nhuan Trach kudzu powder brand on the market as well as contributing to improve people's income and promoting local socio-economic development.
In Lac Thuy district, communes have been succeeded in promoting their One Commune-One Product (OCOP) products while others are still struggling to position their typical farming products in market. Some communes in the district still fail to have their products met OCOP programme’s requirements, while others have seen their certifications expired.
The inspectorate agency of Hoa Binh province has issued Official Dispatch No. 1090/TTr-PCTN to provincial departments, agencies, localities, business associations, enterprises, and investors regarding measures to improve informal component indexes of the Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI).
Hoa Binh is taking concrete steps to improve its investment environment, with a strong focus on supporting businesses, settling obstacles for strategic investors, and creating opportunities for robust development in the coming years.
Under the blazing early summer sun, the construction site of Nhuan Trach Industrial Park (IP) in Luong Son district is abuzz with activities from dawn to dusk, a testament to the determination of the investor to meet their construction targets on schedule.