Dam Rong 2 builds new rural areas from the OCOP value chain

Unlocking the advantages of the raw material region

In the context of building new rural areas, developing production and increasing income is always the most difficult task, and also the clearest measure of a region's vitality. For Dam Rong 2, a mountainous commune with a vast agricultural base and diverse cultural identity, the One Commune One Product (OCOP) program is opening up a rational approach to this problem. OCOP goes beyond simply assigning stars to products, aiming for a more complete value chain, from raw material sources, production processes, packaging, traceability, to the capacity of the producers and the consumer market.

The people of Dam Rong 2 are investing in mechanization and applying high technology in agricultural production.

The first advantage of Dam Rong 2 lies in its production space. According to local data, the commune has over 36,557 hectares of natural area, of which agricultural land accounts for more than 34,250 hectares, or approximately 93.7%. Specifically, agricultural production land covers nearly 8,974 hectares, and forest land covers more than 25,258 hectares. These figures show that agriculture, hillside farming, forestry, and indigenous products remain important foundations for the local rural economic development.

Coffee continues to be the main crop with over 3,955 hectares, of which more than 3,613 hectares are in production. Durian cultivation is rapidly expanding with over 1,613 hectares, including approximately 684.8 hectares of monoculture and 928.6 hectares of intercropping. The commune also has nearly 200 hectares of mulberry trees, 238.8 hectares of other fruit trees, over 88 hectares of macadamia nuts, along with areas for rice, corn, vegetables, pepper, and cashew nuts. In the livestock and aquaculture sector, the commune has 471 cattle, 1,521 pigs, 37,000 poultry, and 45.7 hectares of aquaculture, including 10.7 hectares for sturgeon farming.

From that foundation, the portfolio of OCOP products and potential products of Dam Rong 2 is quite diverse. Ro Men honey pineapple, HuSa coffee, Ngoc Thu sun-dried sturgeon, perilla tea, Dam Rong vine tea, products from agarwood, bamboo shoots, banana seeds, and some medicinal products have formed initial highlights. Importantly, many products are no longer just ideas, but are now associated with specific entities, specific raw material areas, and specific production locations.

The story of the Dam Rong Honey Pineapple Cooperative in Ro Men village, hamlet 2, is a clear example. From 7 members with 11 hectares when it was established in 2021, the cooperative has now grown to 17 members with 23 hectares, of which 17 hectares are already producing fruit, with an estimated yield of over 400 tons per year. Honey pineapple is not only a crop suitable for the local soil and climate conditions, but it has also become a more stable livelihood for many households as they are included in the cooperative model. This has reduced fragmented production, allowed for better sharing of cultivation experiences, and gradually built a brand for the local agricultural product.

At HUSA Coffee, green coffee beans are hand-selected.

With HuSa coffee, a noteworthy direction lies in enhancing the value of its main crop through processing and branding. Instead of simply selling raw materials, the producer has roasted, ground, packaged, built a brand, and expanded its partnerships with farmers to develop safe raw material areas. This is an approach that Dam Rong 2 needs to continue encouraging, because for agricultural products to have a sustainable foothold, they cannot rely solely on production volume. Products need to be processed, told a clear story, and reach consumers through their own brand.

Another platform facilitating the OCOP program is the use of planting area codes and production linkages. The entire commune currently has 14 registered planting areas, with 81 participating households and a total area of 212.79 hectares. The majority are durian and pineapple growing areas, with a registered production of over 4,148 tons per year. These data show that commodity production in Dam Rong 2 is gradually approaching the requirements for planting area management, traceability, and market standards.

Along with the planting area code, the locality has formed 11 production and consumption linkage chains with 127 participating households, covering a total area of 183.79 hectares and an estimated output of 5,485 tons. These chains focus on durian, honey pineapple, and sturgeon. This is a necessary step, because an OCOP product that wants to reach a wider market cannot rely solely on the individual efforts of each household. It requires a stable raw material area, a relatively uniform production process, capable organizations, clear packaging and labeling, transparent traceability, and a sustainable distribution channel.

Perilla is grown naturally in the Healing Village (Ro Men hamlet) to make tea.

For the period 2026-2030, the locality also focuses on expanding production, preliminary processing, processing, and consumption linkages for key products such as coffee, durian, cold-water fish, and silkworm cocoons. If this stage is done well, the OCOP program will no longer be just the "tip" of the product after harvest, but will become the result of the entire process of reorganizing rural production, from renovating unproductive orchards and converting inefficient land to building raw material areas and value chains.

Making OCOP a driving force for new rural development

According to the national criteria for new rural communes in the 2026-2030 period, rural economic development is a key component. Indicators related to concentrated raw material areas, high-tech or green economic agricultural models, OCOP product development plans, effective cooperatives, community agricultural extension groups, private sector economy, and rural tourism all place higher demands on the commune level. Therefore, OCOP in Dam Rong 2 should be viewed as part of a comprehensive new rural development strategy, rather than a standalone program.

A signature OCOP product of Quang Nam Agarwood Joint Stock Company (Lieng Sronh, Dam Rong 2 commune).

First and foremost, the OCOP program must contribute to increasing people's income. When products are standardized, labeled, traceable, and properly promoted, their selling value has the potential to be higher compared to raw agricultural products dependent on traders. People also have more motivation to produce according to established processes, focusing on quality, safety, and stable raw material sources. For a locality where agriculture remains the main livelihood for many households, this impact has a direct significance for rural life.

OCOP also serves as a test of the collective economic capacity. Farmers may produce good raw materials, but for the product to meet standards and gain a foothold in the market, many additional steps are needed that an individual household cannot handle on its own, from preliminary processing, packaging, trademark registration, completing documentation to promotion and sales.

The presence of cooperatives, cooperative branches, and cooperative groups in the fields of fisheries, agricultural services, silkworm farming, fruit, herbs, macadamia nuts, pineapples, and durian is an important foundation for connecting farmers with the market. Weak models need to be strengthened, because without sufficiently strong entities, OCOP products are very likely to remain small-scale and difficult to sustain after being recognized.

According to journalist Minh Lan, in an area where 19 ethnic groups live together, with ethnic minorities accounting for over 65%, the OCOP program is also an opportunity for Dam Rong 2 to promote its local identity.

The value of a product lies not only in fresh produce or processed goods, but also in the story of the land, its people, farming practices, and community culture. Traditional brocade fabrics, local specialties, medicinal products, processed agricultural products, and rural tourism models, if properly organized, can create additional livelihoods while integrating cultural identity into the economic value.

HUSA Coffee invests in professional roasting equipment to elevate its product quality.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, Vice President of the Lam Dong Provincial Business Association, believes that in the context of increasingly high market demands, OCOP in Dam Rong 2 needs to be closely linked with digital transformation and high-tech agriculture.

Traceability codes, electronic field logs, data-driven management of growing areas, professional product images, and transparent information on online channels and e-commerce platforms will help local products reach a wider customer base. Applications such as irrigation sensors, pest and disease monitoring, and care process management, if implemented appropriately, will also contribute to improving the quality of raw material areas, especially for industries with stringent requirements such as durian, coffee, cold-water fish, and medicinal herbs.

Despite its potential, Dam Rong 2 still needs to avoid a mindset focused solely on the quantity of products. The OCOP program is only effective when products, after certification, continue to be upgraded, maintain standards, and have a market for consumption. Products whose certification cycle has ended need to be reviewed, re-evaluated, and have their documentation, packaging, food safety, and sales capabilities improved. Products with remaining potential need appropriate support, especially in terms of technology, product storytelling, brand recognition, traceability, and market connections.

Conversely, the process of building new rural areas also creates an environment for the sustainable development of OCOP (One Commune One Product) products. Infrastructure such as transportation, electricity, water, telecommunications, the Internet, cultural institutions, vocational training, community agricultural extension, and local governance capacity all impact the potential for product development. When rural infrastructure is invested in comprehensively, and the Internet reaches residential areas and production zones, people have more opportunities to learn technical skills, sell online, connect with businesses, and access markets outside their locality.

OCOP products have become a source of pride for the producers.

From its advantages in coffee, durian, pineapple, sturgeon, medicinal herbs… to its indigenous cultural products, Dam Rong 2 has all the elements to develop OCOP products with its own unique characteristics. The challenge lies in selecting products with real advantages, developing capable entities, and building a closed-loop supply chain from material supply, cultivation, production to procurement, processing, and distribution. When each link is organized systematically, OCOP will become a driving force to increase the value of agricultural products, create jobs, preserve cultural identity, and contribute to fulfilling the criteria of the new rural development program.

For Dam Rong 2, OCOP is therefore more than just a star label on a packaging. It is a path for local agricultural products to enter the market with quality and brand recognition, to create more space for the collective economy to develop, and to give people more confidence in their own products. If done correctly and consistently, OCOP will be one of the important directions to help the new rural development of Dam Rong 2 become more profound, sustainable, and rich in identity in the coming years.