The Ministry of Commerce will push for geographical indication (GI) registration for Nan coffee to increase the market value for local products and encourage young people to live sustainably in their communities.
Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai made the announcement during a visit to premium coffee growing areas in the northern province.
Obtaining GI registration for local products, he said, was part of a core policy to improve the quality of life of people by promoting products that have a specific geographical origin.
Inspections of coffee planting areas on Doi Mae Charim in Mae Charim district and Doi Suan Ya Luang in Tha Wang Pha district are aimed at promoting local products in preparation for a registration application.
Mr Phumtham, who is also a deputy prime minister, met coffee planters and coffee shop operators as part of his inspection tour. He also met representatives of the Young Entrepreneurs Chambers of Commerce (YEC) and the MOC Biz Club to discuss developing the potential of Nan coffee and upgrading coffee products to market internationally.
Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai prepares to sample a local coffee during a meeting with growers and coffee shop operators in Nan province. (Photo: Ministry of Commerce)
“Products must have good quality. If GI is granted, it will help increase the market value of the products. This will allow people to stay in their communities with their families,” he said. “If young people have an income, they will not want to live anywhere else.”
The ministry’s Department of Intellectual Property is currently working with the Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office to write an application for GI registration, which will give local coffee products more value, he added.
Coffee is a popular cash crop in the northern province. Many Nan coffee varieties are now in high demand including Doi Suan Ya Luang, Mae Charim, Manipruek and Sakiang coffee.
GI is a distinctive certification used to identify a product as originating from a particular country, region or locality that has specific qualities, reputation or other unique characteristics.
The certification typically increases market value for products when they are sold in developed countries and protects the branding of indigenous products by building consumer confidence in their quality.