Expanding Markets for Minh Dai OCOP Products

The pungent kick of cham cheo (traditional dipping spice), the deep smoky flavor infused in each strip of dried meat, the sweetness of forest flower honey, and the gentle astringency in a cup of green tea... Each flavor seems to hold onto a breath of nature, local lifestyle, and the skilled hands of Minh Dai residents. From home kitchens and highland market sessions, these familiar local specialties now carry official names, proper packaging, and OCOP certification marks. However, to help these gifts from the countryside reach further markets, the story behind each product must continue to be written with quality, professionalism, and expanded market access.

Tan Son Salt-Baked Chicken Livestock, Production, and Processing Cooperative focuses on ensuring quality and food safety.

From Countryside Specialties to Branded Goods

Following the administrative unit rearrangement, Minh Dai Commune was formed through the merger of three communes: Minh Dai, My Thuan, and Van Luong. Spanning nearly 85 square kilometers, the commune is home to over 5,600 households with 24,900 residents, with ethnic minorities accounting for more than 70%. Green tea hills, forests, and production and processing traditions passed down through generations have created a rich source of local specialties unique to this land.

Minh Dai currently has 7 products recognized with a 3-star OCOP rating, including tea, forest flower honey, cham cheo, dried buffalo meat, dried pork, and salt-baked chicken. Behind each product lies locally grown and harvested raw materials combined with expertise cultivated over the years. Entering the OCOP program, these familiar practices have been standardized: production processes are tighter, food safety requirements are prioritized, while packaging, labeling, and traceability are gradually perfected.

Thanks to this, Minh Dai’s specialties have moved beyond local open markets to appear on store shelves, at trade fairs, and reach buyers outside the region. While the certificate opens the door, a product’s vitality rests in every batch delivered to consumers: cham cheo must retain its signature aromatic spice; dried meats need a deep smoky aroma while ensuring safety; honey and tea must maintain consistent quality. Alongside flavor come suitable packaging designs, steady supply lines, and attention to detail in every step.

Each extended order drives demand for raw materials, purchasing, processing, and packaging. Consequently, tea growers gain steady outlets, while beekeepers and food-processing households enjoy opportunities to boost their income. Processing secrets tied to the lives of ethnic minority communities are thus preserved and continued, carrying forward stories of the land, the people, and the lifestyle of Minh Dai.

Adding New Paths for Products

For the 2026–2030 period, Minh Dai strives to standardize, upgrade, and newly develop 2 to 3 3-star OCOP products, while selecting a high-potential product to upgrade to a 4-star rating. This target demonstrates local focus on quality and market competitiveness.

Accordingly, Minh Dai is selecting characteristic local specialties and traditional products with high potential to support perfecting processes, documentation, and rating participation. For products that have achieved 3 stars, the focus is on consolidating raw material areas, investing in deep processing, improving packaging, establishing traceability, and protecting trademarks. Each product needs its own story, helping buyers understand the origin, processing methods, and cultural values embedded within.

Comrade Hoang Anh Nghia, Chairman of the Commune People’s Committee, stated that the commune aims to build stable commercial production chains with the participation of local residents, cooperatives, collaborative groups, and enterprises. Linking raw material zones, production, processing, and consumption will step-by-step overcome small-scale production, helping producers take greater initiative over output volume, quality, and market demands.

Along with strengthening traditional distribution channels, Minh Dai emphasizes bringing products onto e-commerce platforms and online sales channels. Producers receive support in utilizing QR stamps, barcodes, upgrading packaging, and applying technology in marketing and quality management.

Minh Dai is also opening additional paths through rural tourism. Green tea hills, fresh air, and the cultural identity of ethnic minority communities create a unique attraction. Several accommodation facilities have allocated display spaces for tea, salt-baked chicken, and local specialties. The commune plans to expand OCOP presentation points at accommodation facilities, festivals, and along tour routes, allowing visitors to access products right in the environment where they were created.

A trip to Minh Dai becomes complete when tourists can admire green tea hills, savor local dishes, and pick out a gift to bring home. The aroma of tea, the taste of chấm chéo, or a piece of dried meat will recall memories of the land visited. When production, trade, and tourism intersect, OCOP products gain avenues to reach far, while the people of Minh Dai gain opportunities to build prosperity from their homeland’s raw materials, experience, and cultural identity.

Huong Giang