Bến Tre green skinned coconuts for sale at a tourism area in the province. Bến Tre Province’s green-skinned coconuts and pomelos have been granted intellectual property protection certificates in Canada. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồng Đạt

Bến Tre Province’s green coconuts and pomelos have been granted intellectual property protection certificates in Canada as certified trademarks.

This marks a milestone in enhancing the brand value of Bến Tre Province's agricultural products and other Vietnamese products in the global market.

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office granted protection for two trademarks: 'Ben Tre Pomelo & Device' for green-skinned pomelos and 'Ben Tre Coconut & Device' for green coconuts.

The provincial Department of Science and Technology is the owner of the trademarks.

Geographical indication and certified trademark are intellectual properties and also effective legal tools to prevent infringements and allow local agricultural products to be exported under the trademark 'Ben Tre' name.

The recognition of the trademarks in Canada not only reflects Bến Tre Province’s efforts in upholding the quality and characteristics of the products in international markets, but also opens a new door to promote the region's economic development, especially increasing exports of agricultural products.

Bến Tre Province needs to continue to invest in improving product quality and expanding markets while strengthening marketing strategies to widely promote the 'Ben Tre' brand, which will help build Việt Nam's reputation as a country of high-quality agricultural products.

According to the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bến Tre has nearly 20,000ha dedicated to green coconuts out of a total of 79,000ha of coconut orchards. There are also nearly 10,000ha of green-skinned pomelos, with an annual harvest of 200,000 tonnes per year. — VNS