Protect your brand, fight against Cao Phong's orange disguise

Signboard announcing the end of harvesting Cao Phong oranges in the crop year 2022 - 2023 at Cun slope, Thu Phong commune (Cao Phong).

 Impersonating Cao Phong orange

Up to now, Cao Phong orange is still the first and only product of the province to be granted a Geographical Indication. Cao Phong orange brand has been confirmed, protected, known to domestic consumers and exported to the UK market. Taking advantage of the reputation of Cao Phong oranges, at the end of the crop, even in Tay Phong and Thu Phong communes, Cao Phong town still has a number of fruit retail locations, including oranges that are invited by sellers to buy with orange marks. Cao Phong. 

At the end of July 7 when the orange orchards of Cao Phong district were still young and green; The sign announcing the end of harvesting Cao Phong oranges in the crop year 2023 - 2022 is still planted at the beginning of the district, at the end of the district, at the district farmer's market, and in effect, the bad Cao Phong oranges appear. In the role of orange buyers, we were invited by a fruit stall owner in Tay Phong commune and confirmed that it was Cao Phong orange. When wondering why there are Cao Phong oranges at this time, the stall owner immediately replied that oranges are now all year round, from Tet there are V2023 oranges, until mid-August there are yellow heart oranges! 

As observed, oranges are sold on a 2-storey stall, the upper layer of the fruit is more uniform, the top of the orange is green, the rest is yellow, and is quoted at 35 VND/kg. Downstairs, large, smaller, crooked fruits are offered for 20 thousand VND/kg. Seeing us wondering, the stall owner immediately cut 1 fruit and cut 1 piece to give it to taste. Orange has a slightly sour taste and is not as fresh and delicious as genuine Cam Phong oranges. 

Continuing to Thu Phong commune, the top of Cun slope area, when entering a fruit shop selling oranges, we were invited to buy Cao Phong oranges. The owner introduced that this is V2 orange, the last batch sold to enter the na crop. When asked, did you see the sign for the orange crop at the top of Cun slope, only about 100m away? The shop owner casually replied that he knew but still insisted that this was the type of V2 orange left in the garden planted in Thu Phong commune. 

As an orange grower and seller for more than 30 years, Ms. Ngan Thi Nu in zone 2, Cao Phong town is upset when some shop owners sell oranges for profit and sell oranges elsewhere impersonating Cao Phong oranges right in the GI area to deceive consumers. Ms. Nu shared: I planted 4 hectares of Canh oranges, Mars, V2 oranges and stopped selling from the end of May 5, the beginning of September 2023 just started harvesting and selling Mars oranges, total output of the crop year 9 – 2023 about 2023 tons. In April 2024, a customer bought 50 boxes of oranges at the Cao Phong farmers market, then had to say sadly that Cao Phong couldn't even buy genuine Cao Phong oranges.

3T Farm Cooperative Cao Phong agricultural products has 20 hectares of oranges and tangerines. Director Vu Thi Le Thuy said: 2023 is a leap year, so Wenzhou tangerines are harvested earlier, but at the beginning of August 8 the fruit is still green and sour, until the end of August, the harvest will begin. This is the first harvested variety, then Mars, C2023, Cara oranges and not until November will have yellow heart oranges. Genuine orange growers are very upset with the rampant selling of Cao Phong oranges. Even discovered that a clean fruit shop in Hanoi posted for sale publicly on Wenzhou Cao Phong's tangerine fanpage in July. When Cao Phong's comment asked where the mandarins were grown, they did not answer publicly. private message says to import from China, then delete the post.

According to the sharing of those who are passionate about planting and selling Cao Phong oranges, some people in the district blatantly sell oranges elsewhere for Cao Phong marks right at the end of the crop. In the case, someone even bought a truck of oranges transported from another province to the district, packed in boxes, and then sold them with the name Cao Phong oranges. Buy elsewhere for only 10.000 VND/kg, go back to the district to sell Cao Phong oranges for 20.000 VND/kg, minus shipping costs, they still make a profit, so they keep doing it despite their conscience and brand. The target audience is passersby, passing by. They also said that they didn't see a penalty for selling, so they still did it.

Trademark Protection

Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of Cao Phong district Bui Van Dan said: Thanks to actively applying techniques and planting new varieties, Cao Phong oranges are now available for harvesting, but only harvested from about September to May next year. . In the remaining months, people focus on taking care of trees and young oranges. The number of oranges stored in cold storage is hardly enough to sell Cao Phong oranges in July. Such is impersonation. In the crop year 9 - 5, the area of ​​citrus trees in the district is over 7 hectares, of which oranges are over 2023 hectares.

Currently, oranges are facing difficulties because of tree diseases and worm infestation; reduced area and output, but prices did not increase, adding impersonation.

Concerned about the rampant sale of fake Cao Phong oranges right in the district, some genuine orange business households said that: Orange is the main tree of the district. Brand building is difficult, for such a situation to have a great impact, it is necessary to take measures to prevent it. Individual struggles are just like salt in the sea, needing to join hands from both the government and the people. It is proposed to invite all orange sellers in the district to propagate and sign commitments. Issue code to use orange box packaging for each household selling Cao Phong oranges for management. Functional forces make unexpected checks to handle and set an example. Bringing into play the "ears and eyes" of the people, cross-monitoring each other for the common good. 

Director of 3T Farm Cooperative Vu Thi Le Thuy has raised the above issue many times in meetings, but the responses said that orange traders could not be banned; When the authorities came, they still said that the orange was from another place, but when they left and the customer asked, they said it was Cao Phong orange, so it was difficult to handle. Ms. Thuy said: It is not forbidden to sell oranges, but there are still measures and if we join hands in the drastic fight, often believe that it will be effective. For example, reviewing orange business households in the district, zoning out households selling oranges elsewhere and allowing them to be registered. If people detect and denounce Cao Phong oranges, they will be severely punished. Set up working groups and hotlines for people to reflect and keep confidential information for journalists. Mobilizing public participation in brand protection…

Cao Phong district has over 100 households trading oranges and tangerines. To protect the Cao Phong orange brand, the District People's Committee has issued a document to strengthen the management and use of Geographical Indications for orange products. Request communes, towns, Cao Phong One Member Limited Liability Company, Orange Growers Association to review the variety, specify the time of harvest and end. Propagating and disseminating regulations on management and use of geographical indications. The district put up 3 signs announcing the end of the orange crop; notice on the district website; coordinate with newspapers and radio stations to publish and widely broadcast information about the end of the season. The Geographical Indications Control Board organizes for orange business households in the area to sign commitments… 

However, the impersonation of Cao Phong oranges in the district still takes place, requiring a stronger, more drastic and synchronous involvement. Consumers also need to find out information to avoid being deceived and buying fake Cao Phong oranges. 

 Cam Le