Delegates visit Chavi Garden's OCOP products.
"Awakening" dormant raw material sources
Born and raised in Tan Thanh commune, Tay Ninh province – a locality with nearly 400 hectares of lotus cultivation – Vo Van Tam was always concerned about the farmers in his hometown constantly falling into the vicious cycle of "bumper harvest, low prices." Determined to find a sustainable direction for lotus cultivation, he researched and gradually shifted the product towards deep processing and sought new markets.
As a newcomer to the food industry, Mr. Tam faced numerous challenges, from preserving raw materials to maintaining the freshness and crispness of the lotus root after processing. Undeterred, he actively incorporated customer feedback to improve quality; and collaborated with relevant agencies to perfect environmental procedures and production processes. As a result, his sweet and sour lotus root product officially achieved OCOP 3-star certification.
No longer dependent on traders at wholesale markets in Ho Chi Minh City, he can now export fresh lotus roots to China and South Korea . Furthermore, he has made a major breakthrough by building a brand for deep processing.
His proactive approach to output management and enhancing the value of agricultural products has awakened the potential of the Tan Thanh lotus growing area, opening up opportunities for sustainable economic development for the people of this region.
Mr. Tâm shared his thoughts: “If we only focus on selling fresh lotus roots without building a brand, farmers will forever be stuck in the cycle of ‘bumper harvest, low prices.’ As someone deeply connected to the fields, I understand the concerns of the farmers. We have the advantage of a stable raw material source; all we need is to link production and jointly build a local brand, and the problem of finding markets for lotus roots will no longer be difficult to solve. I believe that with the OCOP 3-star certification for our sweet and sour lotus root product, the Tân Thạnh lotus brand will continue to stand firm and expand into new markets.”
Reviving the lotus growing area in Tan Thanh not only changed the fate of a local crop but also affirmed a strong shift in the agricultural mindset of the people of Tay Ninh. Thanks to the solid foundation of a stable, OCOP-certified growing area and the ambition of Mr. Vo Van Tam, the lotus plant on this acidic soil will surely continue to take root and spread, bringing "sweet fruits," prosperity, and sustainability to the entire region.
Increase the value of agricultural products.
Tay Ninh province has a large agricultural area with many key crops such as rice, dragon fruit, lemons, custard apples, durian, etc. However, the production model remains fragmented and lacks concentration, leaving farmers at high risk when agricultural prices fall. Given this situation, promoting production linkages, building value chains, and developing brands has become an urgent task.
Emphasizing the importance of the new strategy, Standing Committee member of the Provincial Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Minh Lam affirmed: "Tay Ninh's agriculture needs to shift strongly from a 'agricultural production' mindset to an 'agricultural economy' mindset, from a single model to an ecosystem model, and from focusing on output to enhancing value and competitiveness. Properly organizing land resources and completing stable raw material areas is the prerequisite for attracting investment in deep processing, meeting market standards."
Sensitive to market trends, Chavi Garden Tourist Area (Thanh Loi commune) has developed a unique agricultural tourism model linked to a chain of OCOP products derived from lemons. Not stopping at selling fresh fruit, the unit's focus on deep processing is gradually solving the problem of market access and increasing the sustainable value of local agricultural products.
At Chavi Garden, the lemon garden space has been planned as a tourist attraction. Here, visitors can immerse themselves in the green space and experience activities related to processing food and health care products with lemons as the main ingredient. This interactive and novel aspect is what creates the unique appeal of the destination.
Sharing his startup story, Mr. Nguyen Van Hien, representative of Chavi Garden, said that lemons are a familiar agricultural product, present daily from family kitchens to restaurants and beverage establishments. However, the biggest concern for farmers has always been: Where will the product be sold? Is the market stable? And how can they create more value each season? Based on this reality, Chavi Garden chose to invest in deep processing. Instead of relying entirely on the fresh lemon market, which is fraught with risks, the company focuses on researching and developing product lines with high applicability and easy access to various customer segments. To date, Chavi Garden has successfully developed 5 products that have achieved OCOP 4-star certification.
From fresh lemons, when connected to the market with the right product, value can be activated at multiple stages. This chain extends from lemon farmers, processing businesses, production workforce, distribution units, to business partners and consumers. And when each "link" operates efficiently, the agricultural value chain has more room for development. This is also the long-term goal that Chavi Garden pursues: to bring local agricultural products more deeply into people's daily lives and confidently reach larger markets.
To date, the province has 423 products that meet OCOP standards with 3 stars or higher. Each OCOP product is an "ambassador" promoting the image of the locality. Every farmer, business, and cooperative becomes an important "link" in the brand building process. With the advantage of over 600,000 hectares of agricultural land and diverse key crops, the province continues to form large raw material areas to develop OCOP products that reflect the local identity.
Le Ngoc - Minh Tue
Source: https://baotayninh.vn/ocop-tu-vung-nguyen-lieu-den-san-pham-157613.html
