Yen Thuy district is actively implementing a comprehensive range of measures to develop its One Commune One Product (OCOP) product offerings. Currently, the district boasts four 4-star and 17 3-star products under the programme. A standout among them is the 4-star ca gai leo (Solanum trilobatum Linn) glue product, which has steadily expanded its presence in both local and regional markets.
Leaders of the Yen Thuy People's Committee visit the nursery of the Bao Hieu Ca Gai Leo Agro-Forestry Cooperative.
According to Bui Quy Hoi, Director of the Bao Hieu Ca Gai Leo Agro-Forestry Cooperative, in early 2015, as part of a poverty reduction programme, ca gai leo, a medicinal plant used in the treatment of various type of diseases, was introduced to Da Phuc commune. Suitable to local soils, the crop thrived, and residents quickly expanded cultivation areas. However, hasty expansion without a specific plan led to unstable outlets and price pressures, with costs sometimes dropping to below 10,000 VND per kg. Therefore, local farmers began uprooting the crop.
"At the end of 2015, I decided to mobilise households in the commune to establish a cooperative specialising in growing the herbal plant. In January 2016, the Bao Hieu Agro-Forestry Cooperative was established,” Hoi said. Pressing issues facing the crop were gradually addressed. From nine members at first, the cooperative has expanded its membership to 100, with the members now involved in a linked cultivation model across more than 40ha in Bao Hieu and Da Phuc communes.
The cooperative researched and produced its glue product, which boasts a longer shelf life. The herb has various uses, such as detoxifying the liver, lowering liver enzymes, relieving alcohol effects, assisting in treating liver inflammation Type B, fatty liver and fatty blood diseases, back pain, fatigue, and sore throat.
At the provincial OCOP product evaluation conference in 2019, the product claimed a 3-star rating. In 2021, it was accredited with meeting the 4-star standard.
Hoi noted that the product has been trademarked and is available in foreign markets like China, Russia, and Thailand, receiving high praise. The annual profit from it hit between 1.5 and 2.5 billion VND (61,589 – 102,648 USD). The average monthly income is 11.5 million VND per member.
In addition to the efforts of its members, the cooperative has received support from the Yen Thuy authorities, helping its product firmly establish a position in the market.
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.
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