Geographical indication protection of “Hàm Yên” for orange

On 07 October 2020, Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IP Vietnam) has issued Decision No. 4010/QĐ-SHTT on granting Geographical indication registration certificate No. 00086 for “Hàm Yên” orange. People’s Committee of Tuyên Quang province is the organization in charge of managing this Geographical indication (GI).

Orange has long been cultivated in the land of Hàm Yên, with the earliest in Phù Lưu. Local people used to call it the orange of Mường ethnics. In the 1890s, two ethnic people who went trapping in Quan Tiên moutain in the Mường hamlets has found an orange tree with sharp spikes, aromatic leaves and several ripe fruits. When they tasted the fruit, they found it tasty and aromatic, so they brought the seeds back with them. Since then, the orange has been providing the local ethnic people with stable income and helped them abandon the nomadic lifestyle. Orange gradually became the main source of income for many families, and orange production has become a part of their lives and traditions. Hàm Yên orange is well received by consumers and it was voted as representative product and renowned agricultural product of Vietnam in many years, specifically: Hàm Yên orange was voted as one of 50 specialty fruit of Vietnam in 2012, in the top 10 brands and trademarks of 2013, celebrated as one of the representative agricultural product of 2013, certified as a renowned Vietnamese agricultural product in 2016 and voted as a Golden Brand of Vietnam’s agriculture in 2015 and 2019.

“Hàm Yên” for orange

Hàm Yên orange has a characteristic aroma of orange essential oil, fruit weight is 280.41 gram to 344.89 gram, fruit diameter is 8.04 cm to 9.20 cm, fruit height is 6.08 cm to 7.80 cm. Hàm Yên orange skin is thin with skin thickness from 3.20 mm to 5.99 mm, its colour is deep orange, shiny and smoother than other products of the same type. Hàm Yên has a slightly sweet taste with a touch of sourness without harsh or acrid taste. Water content of Hàm Yên orange is high at 86.14 % to 91.99 %, total acidic content is 0.60 % to 0.99 %, total sugar content is 8.00 % to 9.87 %, Vitamin C content is 40.21 mg/100g to 49.97 mg/100g, Brix degree is 9,03 °bx to 10,96 °bx.

Hàm Yên orange is produced in the communes of Yên Thuận, Bạch Xa, Minh Khương, Yên Lâm, Minh Dân, Phù Lưu, Minh Hương, Yên Phú, Tân Thành, Bình Xa, Thái Sơn, Nhân Mục, Thành Long, Bằng Cốc, Thái Hoà, Đức Ninh, Hùng Đức and Tân Yên town of Hàm Yên district, Tuyên Quang province. This area has a distinctive topography with two tall mountain ranges and a heavily divided valley. The average altitude is 650 meter, with red-yellow soil weathered from shale and magma rock that has the farming floor of over 70 cm thick. The natural fertility is medium to high and water retention is good. All these elements contribute to the growing and development of orange. Hàm Yên orange production area has two distinctive seasons: the dry season from November to March, and the rainy season from April to October annually. The annualaverage temperature is 23oC, annual total accumulation of heat is 8,200 – 8,400oC, annual average rainfall is 1,600 – 1,800 mm, concentrating in the rainy season which helps the plants bear fruits successfully. In the dry season, the humidity, rainfall and temperature are low which are favourable conditions for harvest and blooming and fruit bearing of the next season. Temperature variance between day and night is high resulting in thinner skin than oranges of other regions, the differences in colour and shininess, and the high Vitamin C content. Climate conditions, along with the soil and topography properties of Hàm Yên orange production region resulting in the orange with specific characteristics.
Along with the suitable natural conditions, production practices of local farmers such as selecting true, disease-free breed nutured in net greenhouse and strictly abide to cultivation procedure have contributed in the peculiarity and reputation of Hàm Yên orange.

Resource: Center for Examining Geographical Indication and International Trademark- IP Vietnam.