(HBO) - Ngai village in Thach Yen commune, Cao Phong district is home to about 100 natural doi trees. Bui Van Tien’s family living there has cared for and expanded farming area with the hope of turning the product into a high-quality specialty to put up for sales in the market.

Thach Yen doi seeds are recognised as a three-starred
One Commune, One Product product
Doi tree belongs to the wood line with an average height of about 15-20m and
the canopy of tens of meters in width. This kind of plant usually grows on
open, fresh and sunny hills. Since ancient times, Muong and Thai ethnic people
in Hoa Binh have used doi seeds as a spice to create a unique flavor for ethnic
dishes. Apart from being used as a spice, doi seeds are used as a medicine to
support the treatment of digestive problems, soak in alcohol as a massage
medicine to treat pains, or can be drunk as a medicinal wine with an amount
small enough each day to improve health.
Tien said after carefully learning about doi trees, he went to neighbouring
areas to learn experience in organic farming. The cultivation process is not
too complicated. From the fifth year onwards, there is almost no need to take
care of them. After being picked and dried, the fresh seeds will turn from red
to black
The harvest season of this "black gem" lasts from September to
November, with trees yielding up to 30 kg of dry seeds. With the market price
of over 2 million VND per kg of dry seeds, this kind of plant has high and
sustainable economic value, contributing to reducing poverty in the locality.
The bottle is full of information about the production facility and stamp with
a QR code to make it easier for customers to trace the origin.
Thach Yen doi seeds have been recognised by the provincial People’s Committee
as a three-starred One Commune, One Product (OCOP) product since 2020. However,
they are mostly produced on a household scale which is fragmented and small.
With the selling price of 250,000 VND for a 100g bottle, Tien has sold over
10kg of dried doi seeds since early this year. In order to improve product
quality, it is necessary to gain the support and companionship of authorities
at all levels, develop appropriate forms of production to stimulate the process
of linking production and consumption, strengthen trade promotion to expand
consumption, support in-depth training for those involved in the OCOP Programme
to have knowledge of production management and marketing.
Once a mountainous province facing many challenges, Hoa Binh has, after more than a decade of implementing the national target programme on new-style rural area development, emerged as a bright spot in Vietnam’s northern midland and mountainous region. In the first quarter of 2025, the province recorded positive results, paving the way for Hoa Binh to enter a phase of accelerated growth with a proactive and confident mindset.
Hoa Binh province is steadily advancing its agricultural sector through the adoption of high-tech solutions, seen as a sustainable path for long-term development.
The steering committee for key projects of Hoa Binh province convened on May 14 to assess the progress of major ongoing developments
A delegation of Hoa Binh province has attended the "Meet Korea 2025" event, recently held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of the Republic of Korea (RoK) in Vietnam, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, and the People's Committee of Hung Yen province.
Hoa Binh province joined Vietnam’s national "One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme in 2019, not simply as a mountainous region following central policy, but with a clear vision to revive the cultural and agricultural values in its villages and crops.
From just 16 certified products in its inaugural year to 158 by early 2025, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme in Hoa Binh province has followed a steady and strategic path. But beyond the numbers, it has reawakened local heritage, turning oranges, bamboo shoots, brocade, and herbal remedies into branded, market-ready goods - and, more profoundly, transformed how local communities value and present their own cultural identity.