QUẢNG NAM — The Intellectual Property Agency of Việt Nam, under the ministry of science and technology, in co-operation with Korean Intellectual property office (KIPO) and Korean Invention promotion association (KIPA), have been building the Mã Châu natural silk brand of Quảng Nam Province in promoting the product in tourism development in central Việt Nam.

Head of the Agency, Đinh Hữu Phí said the co-operation was part of the 2018 Intellectual sharing project in facilitating the development of Quảng Nam silk product among Vietnamese and Korean agencies.

He said it’s the second project that KIPA and KIPO have developed in Việt Nam in promoting the collective brand recognition of natural silk product.

“The building the brand of Mã Châu natural silk and Quảng Nam silk products would help boost income for silk craft villages in the province by offering more jobs for local community,” Phí said at a final ceremony of the project on Wednesday.

“The project is worth US$200,000 donated by the Korean Government, has seen as sample of quality silk promotion and recognition in Quảng Nam Province and Việt Nam as well.”

He said the project mapped out a plan of developing the traditional craft product with tourism service at the 500-year-old silk manufacturing village in Quảng Nam Province.

Hard work: Farmers grown mulberry in Duy Xuyên district of Quảng Nam Province. — Photo courtesy Trần Thị Yến

Siyoung Park, director of multilateral affairs division of KIPO, said the project supported a weaving machine for the Mã Châu Silk Company – the major natural silk producer of Quảng Nam Province – and technical assistance and equipment for local craftsmen in producing best quality of silk.

“We have been sharing the Intellectual project since 2010 with an aim of technology application use and patent among partners and increasing income for craftsmen,” Park said.

“The recognition of natural silk of Mã Châu would help promote product among Korean tourists and customers. The project also aims to prosper the traditional silk craft of Quảng Nam and Việt Nam,” he said, adding the project also helped built logo and seal of natural Mã Châu silk.

Quảng Nam Province also has submitted document to the Intellectual Property Agency of Việt Nam for recognition of the collective brand of Mã Châu silk.

According to the provincial department of science and technology department, silk has been preserved and manufactured by six communities along the Vu Gia-Thu Bồn River in the province, but only Mã Châu silk village is the main manufacturer of natural silk product in Quảng Nam.

Birth: Coocoons of Mã Châu Silk provide raw silk material for silk production. — Photo courtesy Trần Thị Yến

Director of Mã Châu Silk Company, Trần Hữu Phương said the company, which was jointed by five craftsmen families in the village, produced nearly 10,000 metres of silk worth VNĐ6 billion per year (US$265,000).

Phương said the product now preserves the traditional formula from 500 years ago with natural dye and natural silk fibre.

He said local community also make cocoons themselves and farm mulberry in providing raw material for silk production.

Phương said the manufacture also involves households and farmers as chains of silk processing as well as creating stable income.

He, however, complained that the slow support from local government of Quảng Nam has kept the production at bay, and the recognition of the silk brand would help the craft taking off soon. — VNS