Building is difficult, maintaining is even more difficult.

Việt Nam•27/11/2023

In agricultural production, for certain crops (fruit trees), building and obtaining a collective trademark is a long and difficult process, with distinctive characteristics specific to each product to create uniqueness so that consumers can immediately recognize the product when they hear about a trademarked product. For example, collective trademarks for fruit trees in Tra Vinh province have been recognized by the Intellectual Property Office (Ministry of Science and Technology) for Long Tri mandarin oranges in Cang Long district (recognized in 2008), Hoa Tan wax coconuts (recognized in 2011), and Tan Qui mangosteen in Cau Ke district (recognized in 2008)...

According to our records, currently 2 out of 3 fruit products whose trademarks have expired (after 10 years from the date of recognition) have lost their trademarks; in particular, one fruit product, "Long Tri Sweet Tangerine," had its collective trademark successfully registered by a locality outside the province.

Nguyen Van Nguyen's orchard in Long Tri hamlet, Binh Phu commune, is located next to a well-known mandarin orange orchard that used to be branded "Long Tri Mandarin Oranges".

Nguyen Van Nguyen, a member of the Thuan Phu Mandarin Cooperative (Binh Phu commune, Cang Long district), said: his family has 1 hectare of land dedicated to mandarin cultivation, and since 2019, they have renovated and replanted the entire area of old mandarin orchards, which are over 20 years old. This is the second year that the orchard has yielded stable productivity, bringing in over 100 million VND per harvest.

According to farmer Nguyen Van Nguyen, in the past, when people talked about Long Tri mandarins, they knew about the Long Tri area associated with the origin and development of mandarin oranges. Currently, the "Long Tri Mandarin Orange" brand no longer exists; with the establishment of a new brand for Binh Phu mandarin oranges (formerly the Long Tri Mandarin Orange collective brand), he hopes that the cooperative will promote and enhance the value of mandarin oranges, creating conditions for mandarin orange growers to develop further.

In a conversation with us, Mr. Huynh Trung Giang, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Binh Phu commune, Cang Long district, informed us that the "Long Tri Sweet Tangerine" brand no longer exists. After the protection period expired, the beneficiary unit did not apply for re-recognition. This is a significant loss for the farmers and the brand that had gained consumer trust and recognition. The new brand currently being implemented will help farmers expand their sweet tangerine cultivation further. The entire commune currently has 25 hectares of sweet tangerines, mainly concentrated in Long Tri hamlet; in the future, the commune also plans to plant an additional 12 hectares of sweet tangerines in Phu Duc hamlet.

Regarding the collective trademark "Tan Qui Mangosteen" (An Phu Tan commune, Cau Ke district), which was recognized by the Intellectual Property Office in 2008 and managed and benefited by Tan Thanh Cooperative (now dissolved), more than four years have passed since its expiration.

According to Ms. Dong Thi Mai Linh, Director of Tan Qui Cooperative (An Phu Tan commune): in the Tan Qui island area, when it comes to mangosteen, durian, and rambutan, customers inside and outside the province affirm that their quality far surpasses that of other localities, such as sweetness and fruit appearance.

The collective trademark "Tan Qui Mangosteen" was previously managed by Tan Thanh Cooperative, but after a period of ineffective operation and the failure to re-certify it (after 10 years), the necessary funds were not spent. According to Ms. Dong Thi Mai Linh, for a new cooperative like Tan Qui Cooperative, there is a need to build several brands for fruit products from Tan Qui islet. Identifying and building a brand for a product is difficult, and maintaining and promoting that brand in commercial activities is even more challenging; it requires a business development strategy that effectively leverages the established brand to reach a wider market.

Hoa Tan farmers in Cau Ke district are delighted with their wax coconut garden, as their product has had its collective trademark "Hoa Tan Wax Coconut" extended until 2031.

On April 28, 2011, the Intellectual Property Office recognized the Hoa Tan Wax Coconut trademark (Decision No. 55156/QD-SHTT), valid for 10 years. Despite the ups and downs of the wax coconut industry due to market economic conditions, farmers have faced numerous difficulties in producing this specialty fruit (wax coconut). Through the role of the Hoa Tan Wax Coconut Cooperative and the managing entity benefiting from the Hoa Tan Wax Coconut trademark, they have diligently maintained effective operations and created a linkage chain between farmers, the cooperative, and businesses involved in purchasing and processing wax coconuts.

In Cau Ke district, there are approximately 780 hectares of waxy coconut trees, with Hoa Tan commune alone accounting for over 425 hectares. Among these, the Hoa Tan Waxy Coconut Cooperative (43 members, totaling 32 hectares of waxy coconut trees) has achieved OCOP 4-star certification for its waxy coconut product.

Mr. Nguyen Van Su, Director of Hoa Tan Wax Coconut Cooperative, said: "The Hoa Tan Wax Coconut brand has been successfully developed and recognized with support from the province and district. This is a joy and a testament to the efforts of the farmers in general and the wax coconut growers in Hoa Tan in particular. Therefore, under any circumstances, once the brand is handed over to the beneficiary unit, they must be determined to maintain and develop it."

Recently, with funding from the cooperative, procedures were completed to renew the collective trademark for Hoa Tan Wax Coconut; the renewal period extends until April 28, 2031 (Certificate No. 192703, according to Decision No. 22099/QD-SHTT, dated March 19, 2021).

Text and photos: Huu Hue

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