Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of Cao Bang Province Nguyen Trung Thao emphasized that Cao Bang province has great potential in developing the production of local endemic agricultural products in a suitable way with ecological and cultural conditions of Cao Bang, giving a way for the province to take advantage of its potentials to develop community tourism products to preserve and promote the cultural values of ethnic groups, agricultural products associated with national identity and indigenous knowledge.

Currently, the province has over 500 rural production establishments, including 213 establishments processing agricultural products and food; 177 forest product processing facilities; 118 cooperatives participating in agricultural, forestry and fishery production; 07 craft villages recognized by the Provincial People's Committee. The OCOP program began implementing in Cao Bang province in 2020. So far, the province has had 97 OCOP products. Specifically, 09 products achieved 4-star rating and 88 products achieved 3-star rating. The OCOP making entities include 67 organizations, including 22 cooperatives, 01 cooperative group, 14 enterprises, 30 production and business households.

The fair had 260 booths of 100 OCOP entities that are businesses, cooperatives, and business registered households from Cao Bang province and the provinces of Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Yen Bai, Lang Son , Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Bac Giang, Quang Ninh, Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Ha Nam, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City, Ben Tre, and Ca Mau.

The OCOP product trade promotion fair in Cao Bang province in 2023 is the first regional-scale fair held in Cao Bang. The fair aims to propagate and promote the development of OCOP products imbued with local cultural identity, enhancing the image of OCOP products; contributing to promoting propaganda and implementation of the program "Vietnamese people priotize to using Vietnamese goods" and serving the needs of people in the area inside and outside the province.

Minh Yen