The National Office of Intellectual Property of Viet Nam under the Ministry of Science and Technology has recognised the brand ownership for the products of Ly Son Island including garlic, onion, seafood, garlic wine, dried seafood and seaweed.

Garlic of Ly Son Island is displayed at a shop in Quang Ngai Province (Photo: VNA)

The Director of the Ly Son Island Company, Mr Nguyen Van Dinh said the ownership of the trademark would be valied for 10 years.

He said all of the company’s products are grown and produced on the island, 30km off the coast of Quang Ngai Province.

“It took us 3 years to complete the application procedure for the trademark recognition. However, it is the first time that made-in-Ly Son seafood and aquaculture products have their own brand nationwide,” Director Dinh told the English-language Viet Nam News daily in a phone interview.

“The ownership will be a legal protection of the island’s products and improve the value of aquaculture and farm produce in the Viet Nam market,” he said.

He said many shops and traders have used the Ly Son trademark without its permission for their products.

Mr Dinh confirmed that his company has 9 official agents in HCM City, Ha Noi, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Can Tho, Dak Lak, Ninh Binh, Da Nang, Quang Ngai and Ly Son Island.

Last year, 40 tonnes of Ly Son garlic were exported to Thailand.

The company, in cooperation with the island district and the island’s farmers association, plans to produce organic black garlic for export to Japan, the US and Asian countries, as well as producing garlic oil.

Ly Son garlic has a distinctive flavour and is in high demand at home and abroad. But this year only 250ha of garlic and onion were planted due to serious drought on the island.

Ly Son Island, known as the Kingdom of Garlic in Viet Nam, has 21,000 inhabitants, and 73 % of them earn their living from growing garlic and spring onion, and fishing activities.

(Source: VNA/ Da Nang Today)