Geographical Indication is granted for “Son La”coffee

Within Mai Son coffee Festival 2017, in the evening of October 27, 2017 in Mai Son district, Son La, the National Office of Intellectual Property collaborated with the People’s Committee of Son La province announced the Geographical indication “Son La” fo

Attending the ceremony were Mr. Cam Ngoc Minh, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of Son La People’s Committee, leaders of the departments, departments and localities of Son La province; representatives from the Plant Protection Department, Department of Agro Processing and Market Development (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development); representative of Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association. Mr. Dinh Huu Phi – Director General of the Department of Intellectual Property attended and handed over the Certificate of Geographical Indication Registration to the province.

Geographical indication for “Son La” coffee products are granted by the NOIP’s under Certificate of GI Registration No. 00056 on July 05, 2017. This is the third product of the province after Shan Tuyet Moc Chau and Yen Chau mango, making Son La become one of the provinces with the most geographical indications nationwide.

Mr. Dinh Huu Phi, Director General of the Department of Intellectual Property, said that the Son La coffee product is recognized as a geographical indication is the recognition of the State for a special product of the province, it is a fundamental to help businesses and people to protect and develop values of quality and origin, contributing to raising reputation and developing the market for specialty coffee products of Son La province. However, this is only the first step, so the management and use of this geographical indication should be promoted and focused on supporting. In addition, the province also needs to consider polices to support the development of resources to manage the geographical indications in general and geographical indication of Son La coffee in particular effectively to promote all the values of the geographical indications.

Representative of Son La province, Mr. Cam Ngoc Minh – Chairman of the Son La People’s Committee, said: “After 20 years of developing coffee trees, despite experiencing the effects of harsh weather, hoarfrost, and movements of the market, however, with the determination of the province, efforts of functional branches and people, the coffee area of the province has developed into quite concentrated area. Coffee plantations have a remarkable economic effect, a part of coffee growers not only eradicate famine and alleviate poverty but also grow richer; many households earn VND100-200 million per household per year. Development orientation of Son La coffee until 2020 is to continue to focus on intensive investment, promote intensive farming, increase productivity and expand the area in a reasonable way, ensuring sustainable development of high value economic raw material area in association with processing establishments, establishing the origin and brand name of products, step by step occupying the domestic market and exporting.

A history of “Son La” coffee traced back to 1945, when local people applied for home garden, and then moved to plant on the hillside. Over the past 70 years of development, Son La coffee has become a specialty of Son La and gradually established its position on the market. “Son La” coffee is produced from Arabica coffee, including coffee beans, roasted coffee beans and coffee powder. “Son La” coffee as a drink has a cockroach brown, sour taste, light bitter, long aftertaste. Sweet and fruit flavor also create the characteristic of “Son La” coffee known by many consumers.

Gaining the reputation due to the terrain, land and climate of the geographic area suitable for Arabica coffee varieties, especially the cultivation experience associated with the custom of culture of production local people. Therefore, the building of the geographical indication for “Son La” coffee products of the province will create opportunities for sustainable development products, facilitate marketing and penetrate many markets in the domestic and the region.

According to a report by the People’s Committee of Son La Province, by September 2017, the area of ​​Arabica coffee in the province reached 12,696 hectares, with output of over 10,000 tons, second place in the local coffee plantation Arabica (tea coffee) of Vietnam. More than 90% of the coffee growing area of ​​the province is concentrated in Son La city, Mai Son district and Thuan Chau district. Son La coffee has been exported to USA, EU, Japan and some other countries.

Source: Center for Sience and Technology Communication