(VOVWORLD) - Building brands for the Mekong Delta region’s specialties has been accelerated to raise the value of products, enforce intellectual property rights, and provide a legal foundation for fighting counterfeit and fake goods. This is to create a healthy competitive environment, and protect the interests of manufacturers and consumers.
 Agriculture experts evaluate the quality of rice strains at Loc Troi Agriculture Research Institute in An Giang province. (Photo: Vu Sinh/VNA) |
According to Vietnam’s National Office of Intellectual Property, localities and businesses in the Mekong Delta region have in recent years stepped up the development of brands for their specialties.
The Government, ministries, and sectors have implemented several programs to develop intellectual property and help businesses, manufacturers, and traders improve their competitiveness, increase their product values, and assert their position in domestic and foreign markets.
Covering an area of more than 40,000 square kilometers with favorable natural conditions, the Mekong Delta is not only Vietnam’s “rice bowl”, it also produces fruits, seafood, and many other local specialties.
The Mekong Delta Rice Research Institute and the Loc Troi Group recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement until 2025 to research rice varieties and develop brands for Vietnamese rice to consolidate Vietnam’s position as the world’s “delicious rice nation”.
Dr. Tran Ngoc Thach, the Institute’s Director, said, “We have long-term strategic cooperation, which will contribute to the sustainable development of Vietnamese rice. Our cooperation focuses on selecting high quality rice varieties, transferring technology, and promoting expert exchanges to respond to drought and pests.”
Mekong Delta provinces have developed the "One commune, one product" (OCOP) model to enhance the value of each locality’s specialties. In addition to developing OCOP products, Soc Trang province has built a system to manage, monitor, and evaluate branding.
Vo Van Chieu, Director of Soc Trang’s Department of Industry and Trade, said the key to developing OCOP products is to turn them into brands widely recognized at home and abroad.
“A provincial OCOP and regional specialty center will be established to introduce, promote, and connect goods trading between Soc Trang and other provinces and cities nationwide. We’ll develop a trading floor and boost e-commerce to distribute Soc Trang’s OCOP products throughout the domestic and world markets,” said Chieu.
 OCOP products are displayed at a conference to link supply and demand, production and consumption of the items in Soc Trang province in 2020. (Photo: baodantoc.vn)
|
Pham Thien Nghia, Chairman of Dong Thap province’s People's Committee, said the region can’t depend on domestic demand to develop its products and services. It must look to the global value chain to promote its brands, especially in this technological era.
Nghia underscored the need to improve mechanisms, policies and legal systems to build, protect, develop the brands, and treat them as the private property of businesses and the common property of the community, the locality and the region to harmonize the interests of businesses, the community, and the locality.
He called for linking the branding of specialties and the direction of OCOP development to enhance profits.
“Dong Thap will further increase communications, launch more startup movements, and mobilize the involvement of the public in its programs. In addition to developing products under the OCOP model, the province will enhance the certification of domestic and foreign criteria for its products in line with commercial development," said Nghia.
The Mekong Delta region has more than 500 OCOP products, many of which have been exported.