Protecting the brand, preventing Cao Phong orange disguise

(HBĐT) - Although Cao Phong district has put up signs "Announcement of the end of Cao Phong orange harvest for the 2022-2023 crop year from May 25, 2023" at the beginning and end of the district and the district agricultural market area, some orange retail points right in the district are still selling oranges from other places impersonating Cao Phong oranges.

Sign announcing the end of Cao Phong orange harvest for the 2022 - 2023 crop year at Cun slope, Thu Phong commune (Cao Phong).

Impersonating Cao Phong orange

Up to now, Cao Phong oranges are still the first and only product of the province to be granted a Geographical Indication. The Cao Phong orange brand has been affirmed, protected, known to domestic consumers and exported to the UK market. Taking advantage of the reputation of Cao Phong oranges, at the end of the season, in Tay Phong, Thu Phong communes, Cao Phong town, there are still some fruit retail points, including oranges that are offered for purchase under the label of Cao Phong oranges.

At the end of July 2023, when the orange gardens of Cao Phong district were still young and green; the sign announcing the end of the Cao Phong orange harvest for the 2022-2023 crop year was still posted at the beginning and end of the district, the district agricultural market area and was still in effect, fake Cao Phong oranges appeared. Posing as orange buyers, we were warmly invited by a fruit stall owner in Tay Phong commune and confirmed that they were indeed Cao Phong oranges. When wondering why Cao Phong oranges were available at this time, the stall owner immediately replied that oranges are available all year round, from after Tet there are V2 oranges, and by mid-August there are yellow-heart oranges!

According to observations, the oranges were sold on a 2-tier stall, the upper tier had more even fruit, the top of the orange was green, the rest was yellow, priced at 35,000 VND/kg. The lower tier had larger, smaller, crooked fruits, priced at 20,000 VND/kg. Seeing our hesitation, the stall owner immediately split open a fruit and cut a piece for us to taste. The oranges tasted a bit sour and did not smell as fresh and delicious as genuine Cam Phong oranges.

Continuing to Thu Phong commune, the area at the top of Cun slope, when entering a fruit shop selling oranges, we were invited to buy Cao Phong oranges. The shop owner introduced that these were V2 oranges, the last batch was sold out to start the custard apple season. When asked if they had seen the sign saying "End of season oranges" right at the top of Cun slope, only about 100m away? The shop owner calmly replied that he knew but still insisted that these were V2 oranges left in the garden grown right in Thu Phong commune.

As a grower and seller of oranges for more than 30 years, Ms. Ngan Thi Nu in Zone 2, Cao Phong town was upset when some shop owners, for profit, sold oranges from other places pretending to be Cao Phong oranges right in the Geographical Indication area to deceive consumers. Ms. Nu shared: I grew 4 hectares of Canh, Mars, V2, and yellow-heart oranges and stopped selling them at the end of May 2023. I started harvesting and selling Mars oranges in early September 2023, with a total output of about 50 tons for the 2023-2024 crop year. In April 2023, a customer bought 5 boxes of oranges at the Cao Phong agricultural market, then had to sadly exclaim that even in Cao Phong, they could not buy genuine Cao Phong oranges.

3T Farm Cao Phong Agricultural Cooperative has 20 hectares of oranges and tangerines. Director Vu Thi Le Thuy said: 2023 is a leap year, so On Chau tangerines are harvested earlier, but in early August 2023, the fruit is still green and sour, and the harvest will begin around the end of August. This is the first variety to be harvested, followed by Mars, C36, Cara oranges, and only in November will there be yellow-heart oranges. Genuine orange growers are very upset with the widespread sale of fake Cao Phong oranges. They even discovered a clean fruit store in Hanoi openly selling On Chau Cao Phong tangerines on the fanpage in July. When commenting on where Cao Phong tangerines are grown, they did not respond publicly but sent a private message saying they were imported from China, then deleted the post.

According to those who are passionate about growing and selling Cao Phong oranges, some people in the district blatantly sell oranges from other places under the Cao Phong label right after the season ends. When the season comes, some people even buy a truckload of oranges and transport them from other provinces to the district, pack them in boxes, and then sell them under the Cao Phong orange brand. They buy them from other places for only 10,000 VND/kg, and when they return to the district, they sell them for 20,000 VND/kg. After deducting transportation costs, they still make a profit, so they keep doing it regardless of their conscience and brand. Their target customers are passersby. They also say they don't see any fines for selling them, so they keep doing it.

Brand protection

Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Cao Phong district, Bui Van Dan, said: Thanks to the active application of techniques and the introduction of new varieties, Cao Phong oranges are now harvested in separate seasons, but are only harvested from around September to May of the following year. In the remaining months, people focus on taking care of trees and young oranges. The number of oranges stored in cold storage is also unlikely to be enough to have Cao Phong oranges for sale in July. This is impersonation. In the 2023-2024 crop year, the area of citrus trees in the whole district is over 1,700 hectares, of which oranges are over 1,300 hectares.

Currently, oranges are facing difficulties due to tree diseases, worm infestation; reduced area and output but no increase in price, plus counterfeiting.

Worried about the widespread sale of fake Cao Phong oranges in the district, some genuine orange traders said: Oranges are the main crop of the district. Building a brand is difficult, so if such a situation has a big impact, measures need to be taken to prevent it. Fighting individually is like dropping salt in the ocean, both the government and the people need to join hands. Propose to invite all orange sellers in the district to come to propagate and sign a commitment. Issue a code for using orange box packaging for each Cao Phong orange seller for management. The authorities will conduct surprise inspections to handle and set an example. Promote the "ears and eyes" of the people, cross-monitor each other for the common good.

Director of 3T Farm Cooperative Vu Thi Le Thuy has raised the issue many times in meetings, but the responses said that it is impossible to ban people from trading in oranges; when the authorities come, they still say that the oranges come from somewhere else, but when they leave and customers ask, they say they are Cao Phong oranges, so it is difficult to handle. Ms. Thuy said: There is no ban on selling oranges, but there are still measures and if we join hands to take drastic and regular action, we believe that it will be effective. For example, checking orange trading households in the district, zoning off households selling oranges from other places and registering them, if people discover or denounce using the name Cao Phong oranges, they will be strictly punished. Establishing a working group and a hotline for people to report, keeping information confidential for the reporter. Mobilizing the participation of the masses in protecting the brand...

Cao Phong district has over 100 households trading in oranges and tangerines. To protect the Cao Phong orange brand, the district People's Committee has issued a document to strengthen the management and use of Geographical Indications for orange products. Requesting communes, towns, Cao Phong One Member Co., Ltd., and the Orange Growers Association to review varieties, clearly state the harvest and end times. Propagating and disseminating regulations on the management and use of Geographical Indications. The district has put up 3 signs announcing the end of the orange season; announcing on the district's electronic information page; coordinating with newspapers and radio stations to publish and widely broadcast information about the end of the season. The Geographical Indications Control Board has organized orange business households in the area to sign a commitment...

However, the impersonation of Cao Phong oranges in the district is still happening, requiring stronger, more drastic and more coordinated intervention. Consumers also need to find out information to avoid being deceived and buying fake Cao Phong oranges.

Cam Le

Source