Local residents harvest Lục Ngạn lychees in Bắc Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Geographical Indications (GIs) are considered an effective tool to promote the export of Vietnamese agricultural products.

Therefore, building brands for Vietnamese agricultural products associated with geographical indication protection has become an important direction to enhance value and affirm brands for local specialty products in the domestic and international markets.

On June 3, 2024, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam under the Ministry of Science and Technology issued a decision on granting a geographical indication registration certificate for clam products of the Mekong Delta province of Bến Tre, with the provincial Department of Science and Technology managing this GI.

Earlier, the province’s clam farming sector received the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, marking the third time it has met the organisation’s sustainability and management standards, said Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Đoàn Văn Đảnh.

The certificate will be valid from May 23, 2024 to May 22, 2029. The MSC Fisheries Standard conducts the assessment on the management and sustainability of facilities. Earlier, the local clam farming sector received the MSC certificate in 2009 and 2016.

According to the department, receiving the GI certificate and being re-certified by the MSC will help Bến Tre’s clam products easily access such choosy markets as the US, the European Union, and Japan in the coming time.

Experts say geographical indications affirm local advantages in developing and promoting products and enhancing the economic value of specialties. Maintaining the quality of products bearing GIs is an important way to ensure product quality for consumers.

In addition, GIs not only bring higher value to agricultural products in the domestic market but also help boost exports. The price of Lục Ngạn lychee in the northern province of Bắc Giang increased from under VNĐ10,000 (US$0.39) to more than VNĐ35,000 per kilogram. Geographical indications are also considered as a "passport" for Vietnamese lychee to gain access to many demanding markets such as Australia, France, the US, and Japan.

After being granted a GI, the first batches of Lục Ngạn Lychee were exported to Japan, marking an improvement in the intellectual property development work.

Nguyễn Văn Bảy, Deputy Director of the Intellectual Property Office of Việt Nam, said that GI protection had proved effective in increasing the value and reputation of many products.

Typically, Mèo Vạc mint honey of the northern mountainous province of Hà Giang, after being protected by geographical indications, has seen its price double. Similarly, that of Phú Quốc fish sauce has risen by 30-50 per cent, Phúc Trạch grapefruit by 30-35 per cent, Cao Phong orange and Vinh orange by more than 50 per cent. — VNS