With 1,183 certified OCOP products to date, including seven holding the national 5-star ranking, the program has become a catalyst for brand building, competitiveness, and export readiness.
The Nam Yang Agricultural and Service Cooperative in Kon Gang commune stands out among local OCOP success stories.
Established in 2017 and operating more than 200 hectares of coffee and pepper, over 30 hectares of which are certified organic in the US and Europe, the cooperative has expanded processing capacity and enhanced quality through integrated value chains.
By June 2025, five of its products were recognized as national 5-star OCOP items: Fine Robusta coffee, Đak Yang coffee, organic red pepper, organic black pepper, and Lệ Chí organic white pepper.
Cooperative chairman Nguyễn Tấn Công said the certification has accelerated domestic distribution and attracted foreign buyers. He noted that the 5-star ranking pushes producers to upgrade packaging, labeling, and raw-material quality, enabling products to strengthen their reputation and tap into high-end export markets.
In Ia Hrung commune, the OCOP program has also reshaped production, with 16 certified products from six entities, including seven rated 4 stars. BaKa Co., Ltd.'s trio of instant coffees and the Nhật Minh Anh bird’s nest line from business owner Trần Quang Đạo are among the most prominent.
Đạo markets four 4-star OCOP bird’s nest products, processed, raw, dried feather-removed, and baby bird’s nest, and two 3-star ready-to-eat variants. He plans to expand partnerships with local farmers to build a clean supply chain geared toward export.
Ia Hrung commune authorities are aligning OCOP development with the creation of organic raw-material zones, financial and technical support, and investments in processing and preservation, aiming to make OCOP the area’s primary economic driver.
In Phú Túc commune, processed meat products are contributing to OCOP diversification. The Ama Châu dried-beef business holds three 3-star OCOP products, dried beef, dried pork belly, and dried beef brisket, and supplies more than two tons of dried beef and over one ton of dried pork and brisket annually to major cities including Đà Nẵng, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi. Owner Ngô Đức Mạo said the products have gained consumer trust thanks to their distinctive “Krông Pa fire pan” flavor.
According to Nguyễn Thị Thế Vy, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, 87.4 percent of all OCOP products in Gia Lai hold a 3-star rating, 12 percent rank at 4 stars, and 0.6 percent at 5 stars.
She noted that OCOP has shifted producers from small-scale operations to value-chain collaboration, from raw-material sales to deep processing, with greater emphasis on packaging, labeling, and traceability, allowing many Gia Lai products to enter supermarkets, commercial centers, international fairs, and even reach export markets.
By 2030, Gia Lai aims to add at least eight more national 5-star OCOP products, prioritizing sectors such as coffee, pepper, bird’s nest, coconut oil, rice paper, and fish sauce. The province will continue developing raw-material zones, advancing technology adoption, and expanding international trade promotion.
OCOP has become a key pathway for Gia Lai’s agricultural modernization, boosting product value while reshaping production thinking and supporting sustainable rural development.
