(HBO) - For last few years, along with forest farming, the livelihood of honey beekeeping has brought about prosperity to the poverty-stricken rural neighbourhoods of Lac Sy (Yen Thuy). This sweet nectar of the forest are enjoying chances of being further promoted as it qualified for standard of 3 star district level One Commune-One Product (OCOP) with viable prospect of provincial level OCOP certification.
Honey
products by Lac Sy (Yen Thuy) Agricultural Cooperative qualified for district 3
star OCOP certification.
Guided by the villagers, we managed to arrive at the house of
Mr. Bui Van Khoa, Manager of Lac Sy Agricultural Cooperative. As the autumn
coming to an end, the dry weather means most of the flowers are withering,
leading to drops in honey harvests compared to those during summer, he said.
However, during this season the bees can add the sap from acacia and other
plants to their diet, which increase the medical potency of the honey. The wild
flowers nectar and acacia plant sap make Lac Sy honey stand out from other
regions’ products.
Honey beekeeping has been around in Lac Sy since ancient time
as the villagers learnt to relocate wild bees to homemade beehives. By now, the
commune boasts 200 beekeepers, many among them wealthy, such as Mr. Bui Van Nam
family in Thong Nhat hamlet with nearly 100 bee colonies, Mr. Bui Van Chieu in
Sao Vot hamlet with 50 colonies.
Remarkably, since its foundation in late 2019, Lac Sy
Agricultural Cooperative has become a hub spot to help villagers sell their
products. Instead of beekeepers selling their honey at local farmers’ markets
or in neighbouring districts, the cooperative steps in to offer quality
certification and sell the products through interconnected buyers. In 2020, Lac
Sy honey sold via the cooperative amounted to 1.000 litres with prices
fluctuating between 150.000 VND and 200.000 VND per litre.
Mr
Khoa shared his hope that with boosted promotion, Lac Sy honey will soon appear
on the shelves at mainstream supermarkets, big wholesalers and electronic
trading platforms.
During the two days of November 14th – 15th, at the Provincial Cultural Palace, the Department of Industry and Trade organized a conference to connect the product consumption of the ethnic minorities and the mountainous areas in 2024. There was the attendance of the representatives of leaders of a number of departments, branches, businesses, manufacturers and distributors inside and outside the province.
The One Commune One Product (OCOP) programme is reshaping the rural economy of Lac Son district, helping improve living standards, particularly among the ethnic minority communities in remote areas of Lac Son district.
The Van Mai dam xanh (Bangana lemassoni) fish has long been famous for its unique and delicious flavour, earning a spot on the menus of many restaurants and attracting food connoisseurs. In recent years, residents in Van Mai commune, Mai Chau district, have expanded their fish farming areas and striven to build a strong reputation for their product. They are also working to establish it as an OCOP (One Commune, One Product) item to increase their income.
Outstanding rural industrial products of Hoa Binh province in 2024 were recently honoured and granted certificates, becoming a source of pride for producers and also a boost for local economic development. The honourees are all deeply imbued with the local cultural identity and boast considerable commercial potential, helping popularise the image of Hoa Binh to domestic and international consumers. This is also a solid stepping stone for rural industrial establishments to develop.
In the first 10 months of 2024, Hoa Binh city made significant progress in job creation and labour exports, sending 112 workers abroad through partnerships with authorised recruitment firms.
An award ceremony to announce the official certification for Mai Chau district’s Bangana lemassoni fish, a specialty of the locality because of its unique flavour, was held recently in the district.