Việt Nam’s rice trademark unveiled at festival

Việt Nam’s rice brand logo was unveiled on Tuesday night during the opening ceremony of the third Việt Nam Rice Festival held in Tân An City in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta Province of Long An.

The winning logo features an ear of rice with rice leaves shaped as the image of chim lạc (legendary birds). The phrase ‘Việt Nam Rice’ is written on the green oval-shaped logo.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) last year launched a logo design contest for the Vietnamese rice trademark with the aim to promote the reputation of the country’s rice.

The contest, which received nearly 500 entries from across the country and abroad, was part of a project to develop Việt Nam’s rice brand.

According to Nguyễn Quốc Toản, acting director of MARD’s Agricultural Market Processing and Development, Việt Nam had filed an international trademark registration application to the Madrid system - a system built on the basis of the Madrid Protocol and the Madrid Agreement - for its rice in April 2017.

With the participation of 62 countries in the agreement, it is considered a regimen to obtain protection worldwide for Việt Nam’s rice.

After the application is viewed by all members of the Madrid system, MARD will work with relevant agencies and businesses to adopt regulations on the use of the logo on the global market.

According to the ministry, the introduction of the logo would have significant meaning for the rice industry.

It would promote Vietnamese rice in the global market, and encourage businesses and farmers to invest in producing higher quality rice.

As of November this year, Việt Nam had shipped around 5.63 million tonnes of rice for US$2.83 billion. The figures are expected to rise to 6.15 million tonnes and $3.15 billion by the end of the year, an increase of 5.7 per cent and 19.6 per cent respectively year-on-year.

Around 80 per cent of the grain exported was fragrant rice, which was an advantage that Việt Nam should take advantage of, according to Toản. 

Việt Nam’s rice is sold in 150 markets around the world with Asian markets accounting for more than 68 per cent of the total export volume.

The one-week festival, co-organised by the Việt Nam Farmer’s Union, MARD and Long An Province’s People’s Committee, also features a wide range of activities, including an exhibition on rice production and export achievements, machinery and materials used in the agricultural sector, and a rice quality contest.

The exhibition, which was attended by 1,100 enterprises and localities, served as a platform for farmers and businesses to promote their products and for organisers to strengthen links between farmers, businesses and other stakeholders.

In addition, two workshops on saline intrusion and drought and on promoting Vietnamese rice will be held on December 20 and 21 with input from industry experts and climate change scientists.

A special publication on Việt Nam’s rice, to be published on the occasion, aims to honour scientists, researchers, businesses and farmers who have contributed to the development of the rice industry.—VNS