Kudzu powder product of Nhuan Trach agricultural services and starch processing cooperative in Dong Se hamlet, Nhuan Trạch commune, Luong Son district was certified as meeting One Commune One Product (OCOP)’s 3-star standard last year. For local residents, kudzu is a crop that helped them improve income, alleviate hunger and reduce poverty. The certification of the product is a prerequisite for local households to continue their production and expand their market.
Kudzu powder of Nhuan Trach agricultural services and starch processing cooperative in Dong Se hamlet, Nhuan Trach commune, Luong Son district has been certified as meeting One Commune One Product (OCOP)’s 3-star standard.
Hoang Trong Thu, director of the cooperative, has been involved in kudzu powder production for over a decade. The cooperative has nine members and a raw material area of nearly 10ha.
As kudzu powder is used directly so all processes from input to packaging follow safety standards, he said.
Due to suitable soil and climate in Nhuan Trach, the plant achieved high productivity. Thus, those involved in kudzu cultivation could improve their lives. However, there were times when the powder's price dropped significantly due to oversupply on the market.
Thu and other cooperative members were determined to build the Nhuan Trach kudzu powder brand with the desire to secure product sales for local farmers. Last year, the cooperative bought over 300 tonnes of fresh kudzu tubes from households in the locality with prices ranging from 17,000 - 18,000 VND (0.66-0.70 USD) per one kg.
Aiming to produce kudzu powder products that meet OCOP’s 4-star standard, the cooperative has devised a specific plan to apply modern equipment into production, thereby minimising costs and labour while improving productivity and quality.
In addition, it has tried to sell products at trade fairs, promoting them on social networks such as Facebook, Zalo and Youtube.
Hoang Van Bay, Vice Chairman of the commune People's Committee, said that kudzu powder is a typical agricultural product of Nhuan Trach.
In the coming time, the local administration will encourage people to continue expanding the material area, upgrading facilities to serve processing and improving product quality, he continued.
The official said that product promotion will be strengthened along with expansion of product marketing in big cities and neighbouring areas, thereby building the Nhuan Trach kudzu powder brand on the market as well as contributing to improve people's income and promoting local socio-economic development.
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.
"Behind every One Commune One Product (OCOP)-starred product lies a quietly operating support system: technical staff, experts, trade fairs, and e-commerce platforms. OCOP cannot go far without forward-looking policy support," affirmed Nguyen Huy Nhuan, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hoa Binh province.