Shrimp is dried in a traditional method in Cà Mau Province. It is one of the province’s specialty products and preferred by consumers nationwide. — VNA/VNS Photo Huỳnh Anh

CÀ MAU — The southernmost province of Cà Mau is stepping up the development of brand names for specialty products and specifically identified products.

Cà Mau, which is the country’s largest shrimp producing province, has many specialty and specifically identified products, including black-tiger shrimp and mud crabs.

Its black-tiger shrimp and mud crabs have been granted geographical indication by the National Office of Intellectual Property.

The province has 12 specialty products and specifically identified products which have been granted collective brand names.

It is implementing a national level plan of developing geographical indication for its blood cockles and a provincial level plan of developing geographical indication for spotted scat fish.

It will register with the National Office of Intellectual Property to develop geographical indication for its Thới Bình giant river prawn this year.

Thái Trường Giang, deputy director of the provincial Department of Science and Technology, said the intellectual property protection for the province’s key products has helped increase their value and competitiveness, and these products have been gradually switched from small scale production to large-scale production.

It has also helped to preserve and promote the province’s specifically identified products and specialty products and expand their markets, he said.

The province plans to develop geographical indication abroad for its black-tiger shrimp and mud crabs by 2030 and for seven branded products that have potential for further developing in export countries.

It will develop export markets for shrimp in Japan, South Korea and China and for mud crabs in China.

With a dense river and canal network, Cà Mau has diversified specialty products and specifically identified products and many of them have been recognised as products of the country’s “One Commune-One Product” (OCOP) programme.

The province is boosting the development of more OCOP products.

It aims to develop at least 40 new OCOP products rated three to four stars and upgrade the star level for at least 30 existing OCOP products this year.

It will strengthen communication activities about the programme and advertise OCOP products to more consumers.

It will expand effective models of developing OCOP products and their brand names.

The province has 128 OCOP products ranking from three- or four-star level under a five-star system.

OCOP products have had their sales revenue increase by 10-30 per cent compared to before their recognition and their prices rise by 20 per cent, according to the provincial People’s Committee.

However, it does not have a five-star OCOP product and does not have an OCOP tourism product.

Phan Hoàng Vũ, director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that to develop OCOP products comprehensively, the province should not only develop the number of OCOP products but also their quality, and these products have to be sold to consumers in a fast and sustainably way.

The province will give priority for developing co-operatives and small- and medium-size companies, and set a target that at least 20 per cent of co-operatives and 10 per cent of small- and medium-size companies will have OCOP products rated at least three stars.

It will host the delta’s annual One Commune, One Product (OCOP) Network Connection Forum in December. The event will include a contest for four- and five-star OCOP products. — VNS