When intellectual property becomes a lever for agricultural development

Ha Yen shrimp paste has been granted a collective trademark certificate by the Department of Intellectual Property since 2016.

Through many ups and downs, Ha Yen shrimp paste, Dinh Trung village (Hoat Giang commune) is still preserved as a source of pride for local people. According to the elders, the reason this dish is called "royal shrimp paste" is because since ancient times, every Tet holiday, the people here often choose the best jars of fish sauce to offer to the royal court. The special feature that creates the different flavor is the small, clear green shrimp, which only appears on the Hoat river flowing through Dinh Trung village. Thanks to that, the shrimp paste here has a dark red color, a salty, aromatic taste, and the longer it is kept, the more delicious it becomes.

Not only a rustic dish in family meals, Ha Yen shrimp paste has become a product with high economic value. Since 2016, Dinh Trung village products have been granted a collective trademark certificate by the Department of Intellectual Property. In 2018, the commune established a shrimp paste production and trading cooperative led by women and received technical training, support in loans, packaging, and labels. Thanks to that, Ha Yen shrimp paste not only maintains its reputation but also increasingly affirms its position, becoming a famous specialty of Thanh land.

In November 2020, the National Office of Intellectual Property issued a Certificate of Geographical Indication Registration No. 00090 for Co Lung duck products in Ba Thuoc district (old). This is a famous native duck breed with delicious, firm, low-fat meat, raised in Ban Cong, Thanh Lam, Thanh Son, Lung Niem and Lung Cao communes (old). In order to preserve and develop this precious duck breed, the People's Committee of Ba Thuoc district (old) has implemented the project "Application of scientific and technological advances to restore and develop high-quality Co Lung duck breed". The project has been successful with a biosafety farming model, from breeding ducks to commercial ducks, combined with large-scale egg hatching. Not only preserving precious genetic resources, Co Lung duck has now become a commodity product, opening up a new direction for highland farmers in economic development and sustainable poverty reduction.

Meanwhile, in the Binh Son tea area (Tho Binh commune), the green tea bags and Solanum procumbens tea bags of the Binh Son Agricultural and Forestry Service Cooperative have made their mark when they were granted a certificate of trademark protection. Each year, more than 250 hectares of tea are harvested, bringing in an output of about 45 tons of dry tea, with an average profit of more than 100 million VND/ha. The recognition of the brand helps the Cooperative expand its market, its products are present in many fairs and supermarkets, and at the same time contribute to building the 4-star OCOP brand. Tho Binh farmers now not only sell fresh tea but also profit from deeply processed products, with much higher added value than before.

From 2024 to present, the Department of Science and Technology has participated in over 200 rounds of comments and technology appraisals for investment projects, and at the same time guided over 100 organizations and individuals on intellectual property rights. The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee has also recognized 45 initiatives and scientific research topics with provincial influence. In particular, Thanh Hoa currently has 5 products certified as geographical indications associated with local place names (including: Hau Loc shrimp paste, Nga Son sedge, Luan Van grapefruit, Thuong Xuan cinnamon and Co Lung Ba Thuoc duck) and more than 20 other products are also protected as collective trademarks or certified trademarks such as: Do Xuyen - Ba Lang fish sauce, Phu Quang lam tea, Ha Yen shrimp paste, Ai village soy sauce, Quang Xa wine, Tu Tru sticky rice cake, Truong Giang conical hat, Lang Chanh longan candy, Sam Son dried squid and fish sauce, Xuan Thanh orange, Xuan Lap leaf-shaped cake... In addition, more than 200 products of agricultural, forestry and fishery processing enterprises in the area have also been registered for trademarks.

It is worth noting that, after being granted protection certificates, many products have quickly affirmed their value in the market, creating a foothold in the hearts of consumers. Not only stopping at preserving traditional reputation, some products with geographical indications or collective trademarks have also reached international quality standards, opening the door for export to demanding markets. This is a positive signal, showing that the protection of intellectual property rights has truly become a launching pad to help Thanh Hoa agricultural products improve their competitiveness, gradually affirming their position on the map of Vietnamese and world agricultural products.

It can be said that the management and implementation of the TSTT development support program in recent years has been carried out systematically, from technical guidance, urging the leading units, to reviewing and making a list of geographical indications and trademarks to hand over to the local authorities at 2 levels. This is an important foundation for Thanh Hoa to continue building the TSTT development support program for the period 2026-2030, with the goal of expanding the scope of protection, increasing the number of products, and at the same time promoting exploitation, commercialization and wider promotion.

Practice has shown that protecting and developing traditional agricultural products not only enhances the value of Thanh Hoa agricultural products but also opens up opportunities for sustainable development. In the coming time, the province needs to continue to accompany farmers, cooperatives and enterprises in improving quality, promoting deep processing, building a traceability system and expanding the market. When traditional values are harmoniously combined with modern production requirements, Thanh Hoa agricultural products will have a solid foundation to affirm their position.

Article and photos: Tran Hang

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/khi-tai-san-tri-tue-tro-thanh-nbsp-don-bay-phat-trien-nong-san-259493.htm