(VOVWORLD) - The national “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) program in Vinh Long has powerfully driven rural economic growth. More than 1,000 local farm products now meet OCOP standards, boasting high quality and attractive designs. These goods have boosted farmers’ incomes while serving as “homeland ambassadors,” showcasing the unique character of the Mekong Delta.
 The Con Chim Community Tourism Site (Photo: Thach Tra Vinh) |
Tranquil Con Chim, beside the Co Chien river, resembles a watercolor painting. Since 2019, the Con Chim Community Tourism Site has pioneered Vinh Long’s first community-based agro-tourism model. Starting with just 12 households, it has now expanded to 18, with homestays built in rustic countryside style. Visitors can cook in an old-fashioned kitchen, enjoy simple local dishes, sip fresh coconuts in the garden, fish for crabs, make xeo cakes (crispy Vietnamese crepes) with local ingredients, and buy shrimp, vegetables, eggs, fish, and sweets at a country market.
Last year, the Con Chim Community Tourism Cooperative’s products earned a 4-star OCOP rating – a mark of quality conferring stronger market potential and prospects for 5-star recognition. Recently, the site was honored with the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism award, helping to promote Vinh Long as a tourist destination under the brand “Vietnam Timeless Charm”. In five years, it has welcomed 85,000 visitors and earned nearly 1 million USD in revenue.
Nguyen Thi Bich Van, Chairwoman of the Cooperative, said that a cooperative team was established to jointly manage operations and receive tours. “In meetings, we share feedback on services that need improvement. We also created evaluation forms to measure visitor satisfaction and collect suggestions. That has helped us improve the quality of our tourism site,” said Van.
 A tourist is invited to collect coconut nectar. (Photo: Thach Tra Vinh) |
In Tra Cuon village, Vinh Kim commune, 20 households specialize in making tet sticky rice cakes. Their daily output is tens of thousands of cakes. Hai Ly, one of the largest producers, makes as many as 3,000 cakes per day, including their signature three-color sticky rice cakes, spinach cakes, and a “Four Seasons” cakes — all with a 4-star OCOP rating.
To attract younger consumers, the business now offers meal kits that include pork fat, meat, salted eggs, mung beans, banana leaves, strings, and pre-prepared sticky rice. It also sells frozen cakes for year-end parties or camping, and premium miniature shrimp cakes.
Hai Ly’s owner Nguyen Thi Diem Phuc said that his workshop has introduced tiny shrimp cakes, which are smaller and priced at about 4 USD, making it a high-end gift. “Because young people love the countryside experience, we’ve created combo meal kits. They can spread everything out, take photos, then wrap and cook the cakes. By morning, they have fresh tet cakes,” said Ly.
 Cake wrapping, a step in the process of making tét cakes at Tra Cuon village (Photo: Thach Tra Vinh/VOV correspondent in the Mekong River Delta) |
Cau Ke’s wax coconuts, famed for their creamy flesh and sweet flavor, are another Vinh Long specialty but with a shelf life of only seven days. The Cau Ke Wax Coconut Company (Vicosap) in Tam Ngai commune has turned this shortcoming into an opportunity, producing nine value-added lines, from wax coconut candy to yogurt and freeze-dried shredded coconut. Four of these have earned 5-star OCOP recognition, elevating the local fruit into a premium national brand and diplomatic gift.
Each month, Vicosap produces eight tons of products and 10,000 jars of shredded coconut, exporting much of it to the US, Canada, Japan, and EU countries, said Lam Ngoc Tu, the company’s Deputy Director. “The wax coconut is already a specialty, but we wanted to create high-added-value products to reach wider markets,” Tu told VOV, adding, “At first, we sold vacuum-packed coconuts with traceability labels as gifts. Then we developed more advanced products, using freeze-drying, fermentation, and cold-drying technologies. Now we have nine product lines made from wax coconuts.”
Vinh Long has made OCOP a central pillar of rural economic development, leveraging local raw materials and cultural heritage to build a circular economy. To date, the locality has 1,083 OCOP products, including 13 5-star and 189 4-star items. Producers continue to upgrade quality and packaging, and local authorities are boosting promotion through trade fairs, exhibitions, and e-commerce platforms.
 The wax coconut, which has a thick, soft, sticky layer of coconut meat, is used to produce several kinds of 5-star OCOP goods. (Photo: Thach Tra Vinh) |
According to Lu Quang Ngoi, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, “Implementing the OCOP program has made a positive impact, boosted product development and unlocked Vinh Long’s potential in raw materials and traditional culture, particularly in fruit-growing areas.”
With its agricultural heritage and century-old craft villages, Vinh Long’s OCOP products are building strong local brands, raising the status of regional specialties, developing the rural economy sustainably, and promoting the culture of the Mekong Delta to the world.