Bac Giang(VNA) – Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue has asked ministries and sectorsto promptly issue documents guiding the implementation of the “One Commune, OneProduct” (OCOP) programme, while calling for financial and credit organisationsto support it.

Addressing aconference in the northern province of Bac Giang on July 14 to launch theprogramme for the 2018-2020 period, the Deputy PM said that OCOP is an importantsolution to restructuring agriculture and building rural areas, promoting thecountry’s sustainable growth.

He expressed hisbelief that the programme will help improve trademark and quality of Vietnameseagricultural products and services.

OCOP aims to enhancevalue of local products to the national and global level, he said whilehighlighting the major role of farmer households, co-operatives and small- andmedium-sized enterprises with policy support from the State, he said.

“OCOP is a processhaving its start but no ending,” the Deputy PM stressed, adding that after2020, the Government will review the programme before launching it for a longterm.

He also asked mediaagencies to focus on popularising the programme. The Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development (MARD) was assigned to guide localities in implementing,evaluating and rating OCOP products.

MARD Minister NguyenXuan Cuong said that the OCOP programme is considered a specific and effectivemeasure to promote products at commune and district levels.

It objectives in the2018-2020 period include developing strong agricultural, non-agriculturalproducts and services in each localities towards the value chain with theinvolvement of private and collective economic sectors.

It is expected to contributingto the restructuring of the rural economy, reducing the migration of rurallabourers to cities, and protecting the environment and maintaining social stabilityin rural area, while effectively implementing a criteria in production in thenew-style rural area building programme.

Cuong added thatdeveloping agricultural tourism is one of the important measures to promote OCOP.

So far, 60 out oftotal 63 localities nationwide have started building plans for OCOP Programme, ofwhich 30 localities have finished the work and six have approved andimplemented the plans. Particularly, Quang Ninh has entered the second phase.

Dang Huy Hau, ViceChairman of the People’s Committee of Quang Ninh, said that the province hasdeveloped 294 products with the engagement of 180 production facilities,including seven five-star products.

Meanwhile, Bac Giangprovince aims to standardise at least 50 percent of its current products withsix five-star products. In 2030, the province hopes to have 170 OCOP products.

According to MinisterCuong, Vietnam currently has 6,010 registered agricultural enterprises,co-operatives and production households, with 4,823 strong products.

He highlighted theneed to grasp opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution to produce OCOPproducts with the model of Agriculture 4.0, of which three key pillars are smartfarms, smart farmers, and smart officers.-VNA