Sakon Nakhon’s GI products promote local tourism

SAKON NAKHON, June 26 (TNA) – Intellectual property authorities are promoting geographical indication (GI) products to boost tourism in the northeastern province. Thosapone Dansuputra, director-general of the Intellectual Property Department, visited the province where as many as five local products were GI certified. They are Pon Yang Kham beef, natural indigo cotton fabric, Hang rice, Mao berry fruit and Mao berry juice. The products with effective quality control generated 908 million baht to Sakon Nakhon people last year. They are traceable and their packages have been developed to attract consumers. The Intellectual Property Department is actively promoting the GI products of Sakon Nakhon. For example, Indigo Fabric Street was set up there to introduce not only the natural indigo cotton products but also arts and cultures of Sakhon Nakhon to local and foreign tourists. The department has registered 76 GI products of 53 provinces and about 1,400 operators are benefiting from its GI labels. It is considering GI applications for 20 more products from 17 provinces. The department is also helping producers in seven provinces without a GI product to improve their local products to later win GI certification so that all Thai provinces will have their GI products. The department is targeting, for example, fragrant coconuts of Samut Sakhon province, mineral water of Ranong province and dog conches of Krabi province. (TNA)