Chau Thanh dragon fruit and Cho Dao fragrant rice from the Mekong Delta province of Long An have received certified trademarks from the United States Patent and Trademarks Office (USTPO), an official has said.

According to Mai Van Nhieu, Director of the provincial Department of Science and Technology, the certificates will be valid for 10 years.

The trademark protection certificates will ensure three rights for their holders. They will prohibit any production units with the same business line in the country using the trademark; have the right to transfer the rights use to any partner in the country; and have the right to request legal enforcement agencies to protect their trademark if any one violates the copyright.

Cho Dao hamlet in My Le commune, Can Duoc district - the only area in the province that can cultivate the fragrant rice - has 500 hectares of farmland. It produces over 1,500 tonnes of rice per year.

Meanwhile, Chau Thanh district has nearly 2,200 hectares of dragon fruit cultivation, with the average annual output of over 30,000 tonnes. Dragon fruit growers in the locality recently have applied production process following the Vietnam Agriculture Practice (VietGAP) and Global Agriculture Practice (GbobalGAP) standards to ensure the quality of its products for export.

Long An province is intensifying its introduction of local specialities and trade promotion to seek more markets for its products both in and outside the country.

It is also paying attention in maintaining the extension of trademark protection certificates abroad and in the US in particular.-VNA