Two classes of rice, the Sen Kra’op (SKO) fragrant rice and the Damnoeb Sbai Mongkul (DSMK) Cambodian premium glutinous rice were registered under a collective trademark.
This collective trademark’s objective is to increase exporter’s confidence and boost the exports into global markets.
The Minister of Commerce, Pan Sorask hailed this collective trademark to be a sign of progress of the Cambodian rice industry, a development that would bring profit and gain to all actors at all production and manufacturing levels.
A collective trademark is a type of trademark that is owned by a group of people or members of associations or enterprises. The World Intellectual Property Organization defines collective marks as “signs which distinguish the geographical origin, material, mode of manufacturing or other common characteristics of goods or services of different enterprises using the collective mark.” Only the members of the organization that owns this collective trademark can use it.
The Minister assured that all segments, large and small, of the rice sector will be promoted and protected equally. This would include contract farming via Accelerating Inclusive Markets for Smallholders projects. He is confident that despite many holdbacks such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict which is affecting prices of fertilizers, pesticides, and fuel; the rice exports will increase with the policy efforts and the confidence brought about by the collective rice trademark.
The trademark would also encourage more farmers to cultivate the rice to meet export demand which will help attract buyers in international markets.
The lack of clear source of rice in the market was a major reason of the lack of growth in the sector, but this trademark brings marked changes into the rice sector bridging the information gap requiring an assured quality from the rice farmers. The high-quality fragrant SKO rice is set to increase in production.
Comments