(HBO) - Yen Tan hamlet in Lac Luong commune (Yen Thuy district) is home to over 300 households, of which nearly 100 are raising honey bees. Taking advantage of hills, rich natural forests, and many kinds of flowers, especially wild flowers, farmers in Yen Tan village have for years developed beekeeping for honey.

Bui Van Bem's household, Yen Tan hamlet, Lac Luong
commune (Yen Thuy) maintains beekeeping, earning an average income of 80
million VND per year.
In 2012, thanks to a poverty reduction project, beekeepers
in Yen Tan had chances to participate in science and technology training
courses. In 2014, Yen Tan beekeeping cooperative was set up.
Quach Tat Vo, Director of the Yen Tan Beekeeping
Cooperative, said that at first, the cooperative had 300 bee colonies. In order
to improve output and product quality, the cooperative has continuously
bettered techniques and invested in machinery. To date, the cooperative has 26
members and over 800 bee colonies. Cooperative members earn an average profit
of 60-80 million VND (2,550-3,403 USD) per year. Compared with other economic
models in the locality, beekeeping is easy to do and less risky, and brings
higher economic efficiency. The cooperative's honey products have their quality
and food hygiene and safety ensured, thus creating a prestigious, quality and
reliable brand favoured by customers. In the coming time, the cooperative will
continue to effectively develop the model of beekeeping for honey, with focus
on affirming the quality and building the Yen Tan honey brand in the market.
Vo said that Yen Tan honey has gained a firm foothold in the
market. In 2021, it was recognised as a 3-star OCOP product at the provincial
level. The efficiency of beekeeping has contributed to reducing the poverty
rate of the hamlet. The average income per capita in 2022 reached over 39
million VND, and the poverty rate decreased to 12.78%. Currently, the
cooperative not only keeps bees for honey but also pays attention to expanding
production scale, modernising equipment, and promoting Yen Tan honey brand.
Beekeeping has brought changes to local people. With the
direction of developing honey beekeeping into a commodity, Yen Tan beekeeping
cooperative has been building a brand, contributing to improving livelihoods
and generating income for local households./.
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.