Changing the face of the countryside

In An Giang, OCOP products and roads and bridges built by the State and the People have changed the face of the countryside, realizing the goals of the Provincial Party Congress resolution.

Hometown products enter the digital market

From a few jars of fish sauce saved for their home-cooked meals, Mr. Truong Van Do and Mrs. Le Thi Het, residing in Duong Lat hamlet, Ngoc Chuc commune, turned their traditional craft into a large-scale production facility.

In the early days, lacking capital and not yet accessing the market, Mr. Do and his wife made a small amount to try selling at the rural market. When the product was trusted by many people, the local government supported loans and guided the procedures to participate in the OCOP program. In 2021, Tam Do fish sauce was certified to achieve 3-star OCOP, re-certified in 2024 and is now available in supermarkets, specialty stores and on e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee. Tam Do fish sauce facility processes more than 50 tons of fish/year, with a revenue of more than 2 billion VND, a profit of about 500 million VND/year, creating stable jobs for 15 local workers, with an income of 4 - 5 million VND/month.

Mr. Ly Thanh Luan - Chairman of the People's Committee of Ngoc Chuc commune said: "The commune and the people coordinate to remove difficulties in capital, procedures, output... so that products like Tam Do fish sauce can go further.

Mr. Truong Van Do and Mrs. Le Thi Het are proud of the Tam Do fish sauce brand, which is certified to achieve 3-star OCOP. Photo: BICH THUY

Tam Do fish sauce not only retains the flavor of the homeland but also demonstrates how a rural product is upgraded, linked with digital transformation to reach the large market. The whole province currently has 608 products meeting OCOP standards of 3 stars or higher, of which 14 products have achieved 5 stars. The products are diverse from rice, mango, seafood to handicrafts. Thanks to the application of digital platforms, hundreds of products reach the large market, contributing to increasing income and preserving traditional crafts.

Public-private infrastructure, Party's will meets people's wishes

If OCOP helps rural products reach further, then transport infrastructure is the "springboard" to bring those products to market faster. Mr. Le Van Danh, residing in Hoa An hamlet, Hoa Thuan commune, donated more than 200 square meters of land to build a concrete bridge to replace the temporary bridge. People contributed labor, businesses supported cement, and the State matched the cost. In just a few months, the bridge was completed, helping children go to school safely and vehicles carrying agricultural products circulate conveniently.

Also in Vinh Bac hamlet, Ngoc Chuc commune, the 3,800m long road is equipped with 146 flagpoles and solar lights, with a total cost of more than 250 million VND, of which the people contributed 55 million VND. The project not only facilitates travel but also creates a bright, green, and beautiful appearance for the countryside. This is just one of hundreds of projects implemented under the model of "State and People working together". In the period of 2021-2025, the whole province will build and upgrade 719 rural traffic works, with more than 5,530km of concrete and asphalt, along with 419 bridges for people, with a total cost of more than 6,500 billion VND. Of which, the people and businesses contribute nearly 30%.

Difficulties still exist, due to increased material costs, uneven socialized resources, and post-investment maintenance work. However, consensus and the spirit of "public property - common property" become the driving force to help the countryside change every day. Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment Le Huu Toan said: "OCOP and public-private infrastructure are like two interlocking gears. Good infrastructure will reduce production and logistics costs; while strong OCOP products create motivation for socialized investment. In the period of 2025 - 2030, the province will focus on upgrading products, linking OCOP with tourism and e-commerce, and at the same time, prioritizing projects connecting production and consumption to build a truly sustainable and advanced new rural area.

OCOP and public-private infrastructure affirm that when the government accompanies the people, from fish sauce jars to bridges, it can create a driving force to change the face of the countryside, bringing the resolution of the Provincial Party Congress into life with specific, practical and sustainable actions.

BICH THUY

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/thay-doi-dien-mao-nong-thon-a462228.html