Hoa Binh province currently has 158 products granted at least three stars under the "One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) programme, including 114 food products. Among them, there are five aquatic products given four stars. They have gradually won consumers’ trust and created a new livelihood development trend for farmers and businesses in rural areas across the province.
The Hai Dang Fishery Products Co. Ltd. frequently
takes part in fairs in Hoa Binh province and other localities to market its
products made from the Da River’s fish.
Over the past years, aside from issuing support
policies for the sustainable development of cage fish farming and successfully
building the brands of "Ca Song Da - Hoa Binh” (Fish from the Da River - Hoa
Binh) and "Tom Song Da - Hoa Binh” (Shrimp from the Da River - Hoa Binh), the
province has stepped up the development of OCOP aquatic products, thus
practically benefiting product marketing and sale.
Fish farming has long been practiced in Tien
Phong commune of Da Bac district as five of this commune’s hamlets are adjacent
to the Hoa Binh hydropower reservoir. However, due to sale difficulties and
lack of access to scientific and technical advances, the activity was not a
main source of livelihood for local residents.
In early 2023, the Da Giang Eco Cooperative was
set up to boost production and sale connectivity among fish farming households
in Tien Phong, helping ensure stable income for many. The same year, the black
carp, black bagridae, and "ca ngach” (Cranoglanis bouderius) products from the
Da River were recognised as three-star OCOP products, giving further
encouragement to the development of cage fish farming here.
Director of the cooperative Xa Ngoc Hung said
the OCOP recognition has provided a more favourable condition for the
cooperative to market products. As a result, the value of products has been
increased, farmers’ income improved, and a sustainable development direction
created for local aquatic products.
There are currently 10 aquatic product
processing and preserving establishments in the province, comprising three
companies, one cooperative, and six business households. Meanwhile, Hoa Binh
now has five aquatic products (fish fillet and fish floss) granted four stars
under the OCOP programme.
Agricultural authorities said OCOP products are
assessed and classified according to the national criteria, which cover many
aspects such as quality, community value, cultural value, and production and
trading capacity of their owners.
Therefore, the sector is piloting some cage fish
farming models applying the VietGAP standards, developing more OCOP products to
improve quality and value, boosting connectivity among stakeholders under value
chains, and promoting concentrated and large-scaled production, said Luong
Thanh Hai, head of the sub-department of fisheries.
As of October 2024, there were 4,987 fish cages
across the province, expected to generate an output of 10,000 tonnes worth 600
billion VND (23.7 million USD) this year. Fourteen aquaculture establishments
with 1,067 cages have received VietGAP certificates, producing about 2.1 tonnes
of products each year.
Meanwhile, the annual amount of processed
aquatic products stands at about 850 tonnes, equivalent to just 11.33% of the
total farmed and caught output in Hoa Binh Lake, according to the
sub-department of fisheries.
The Department of Industry and Trade of Hoa Binh in collaboration with the People's Committee of Da Bac district launched an exhibition fair on November 26 at the Da Bac District stadium, displaying unique products of ethnic minorities and mountainous areas in the district.
As part of the opening ceremony of the 2024 Hoa Binh Province Da River Fish and Shrimp Festival, the auction of specialty fish from the Hoa Binh reservoir attracted significant attention.
The 2nd Da River Fish and Shrimp Festival took place in the northern province of Hoa Binh from November 19-23. Present at the opening ceremony of the festival were Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Phi Long, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Quoc Tri, Chairman of the provincial People's Council Bui Duc Hinh, and Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Bui Van Khanh, among others.
The 17th Congress of the Hoa Binh provincial Party Organisation for the 2020–2025 term set out 19 key objectives and tasks, including four targets for the agriculture sector namely an average growth rate of 4.5% for agriculture-forestry-fisheries; forest coverage of over 51.5%; access to clean water for 95% of the rural population; and 70% of communes achieving new rural standards.
The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development on November 20 coordinated with Hai Dang Group Hoa Binh Seafood Company Limited to release 1.5 tonnes of fries into Hoa Binh Lake to regenerate aquatic resources, with a total value of 266 million VND (10,460 USD).
