(HBO) – With an aim to preserving and developing the breeding of Muong Pa pigs with black skin in a safe direction in associated with the value chain, create more jobs and increase incomes for farmers, in 2018, with the support of the Republic of Korea’s Good Neighbors International (GNI) organisation, Muong Pa cooperative in Bao village, Bao La commune of Mai Chau was set up with initial 10 members. To date, the cooperative has had 17 member households who are working hard to make black pork a product of the "One Commune-One Product” (OCOP) programme at provincial level.
Muong Pa black pig
meat is on sale at Muong Pa safe food shops in Sub-Residential Area No.3 of Mai
Chau town.
Ha The Nhien, Director of Muong Pa Cooperative said that he has been raising
hybrid black pigs for more than 20 years. In 2008, with the determination to
maintain the indigenous pig varieties, he bought a purebred black pig from Hin
Pen - the remotest, highest place of Cun Pheo commune (Mai Chau) for breeding.
He then shared the varieties to other households in his locality. At that time,
each household only raised 3-5 black pigs, which are highly resilient to the
environment and quite easy to raise. In 2018, the GNI organisation found that
the livestock varieties have high development potential and can improve
people's livelihoods, so that it organised many technical training courses, as
well as food safety, supporting the cooperative in improving its operational
and governance capacity.
Black pork has distinct delicious taste. Every week, from Monday to Friday,
Muong Pa Cooperative sell one black pig each day, with the average selling
price of about 100,000 VND (4.36 USD) per kilo. During the weekend, due to
higher number of consumers, the cooperative can sell 50-60 kilos of fresh pork
per day.
Ngo Thi Mai, livelihood development officer of the GNI project in Mai Chau, who
is in charge of supporting Muong Pa Cooperative, said that thanks to the
application of a clean and safe livestock production process, the cooperative's
products are becoming increasingly popular in market inside and outside the
district and province. The income of pig raising households is gradually
improving to 100-400 million VND (4,359-17,436 USD) each. This year, after the
launching of Muong Pa safe food shop in Sub-Residential Zone No. 3 in Mai Chau
township of Mai Chau district, fresh black pork sales have been improved with
good feedback from customers, bringing higher income for farmers.
In order to broaden the market for Muong Pa back pork, over the years, members
of the cooperative have worked hard to improve the quality of the product and
make it meet requirements of the OCOP programme.
Muong Pa fresh pork has been recognised as a 4-star OCOP product by the Mai
Chau district People's Committee. Besides listing the product as one of the
three products participating in the provincial OCOP programme in 2021, the
district has also supported Muong Pa Cooperative in introducing the product,
origin tracing and trade promotion, thus promoting the product in markets
inside and outside the province.
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.
