Conference seeks ways to build trademarks for farm produce

Ben Tre (VNA) – The building of trademarks for farm produce are crucial to boost the sales of Vietnamese agricultural products in foreign markets, heard a conference in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre on June 23-24.

According to Prof. Dr. Vo Tong Xuan, Rector of the Southern Can Tho University, the re-arrangement of agricultural production is necessary as Vietnam has signed bilateral and multilateral agreements with various international partners.

Besides improving the products’ quality to meet world standards, Vietnam should also build strong trademarks that affirm prestige for local products, he stressed.

Nguyen Thi Hong Thu, Director of the Ben Tre-based Chanh Thu fruit export company, although the firm has successfully exported rambutan to the US, it has faced obstacles in building a “Ben Tre rambutan” trademark.

She attributed the difficulties to small-scale production of local farmers as well as their different production techniques and experience, which lead to a difference in quality of rambutan. It is hard for the company to reach large orders with foreign partners, she said.

Currently, Ben Tre has made a plan to build a trademark for seven local products – coconut, green-skin grapefruit, rambutan, ornamental flower, beef, pork and sea shrimp.

Participants at the event expressed delight that lychee from the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Hai Duong and dragon fruit from the central province of Binh Thuan have reached Australian and US markets, while Cat Chu mangos are sold in Japan.

However, Vietnam’s rice has yet to get its trademark, they regretted.-VNA