Bakers to cooperate for market
Viet Nam News
by Hoai Nam
HAI DUONG — Expanding markets and unregistered trademarks are causing traditional cake makers in Ninh Giang District in Hai Duong City to worry about the future of their products.
Situated 100km northeast of Ha Noi, the district has a population of 8,000, 92 per cent of whom are employed in the service and handicraft sectors. According to district committee statistics, over 200 banh gai (traditional cakes made from sticky rice and a type of leaf) bakers deliver 10,000 cakes to the market each day during peak seasons, in spring and autumn.
However these bakers have had a difficult time mapping out a long term plan for the future of their products and now resolve to rearrange production of the most labour intensive and profitable jobs in the localities.
The craft creates 2,000 jobs with a minimum income of VND500,000 a month per employee – double the per capita income.
In order to develop this craft into a sustainable economic sector, the administration has proposed the cake makers amalgamate to increase sales and establish a broader market.
“We plan to establish a cake making group including senior producers, but we need co-operation between all cake makers in the district,” said the district’s party general secretary, To Tien Tinh.
However, “most cake makers would rather run their own business than gather in a group because they do not want to share the know-how they inherited from generations of family cake makers,” Tinh speculated.
Another problem facing the cake makers is the shelf life of their products. Since these cakes contain no preservatives, they should be eaten within a week of production.
“My house can bring thousands of cakes to market every day. However, we are only able to supply our daily orders,” said Bui Thi Toi, 80, who started his business in the 1960s, now run by his daughter-in-law, Le Thi Hop, 39.
Hop said their business makes a net profit of VND5 million each month. “Although profits are low, the trade is fair in the district now as we are able to save on production costs by employing family members.”
Transportation
Cake bakers in the district also find their transportation situation difficult in promoting the sales of their products. Because of poor road conditions, “The products suffer from poor trading between the district and neighbouring cities and provinces,” said chairman of the district, Bui Son Giang.
Located 30km from Hai Duong and Hai Phong City, it only has access to road No 17 for light truck travelling that prohibits vehicles from driving through the district.
Although adjacent to Thai Binh Province by the Luoc River, shipping is also restrained because of a lack of ports and bridges.
Giang said the road will be repaired as a part of Hai Duong City’s strategic development programme 2005-10, and hopes the town will benefit from the upgrade in increased trade exchange between neighbouring provinces.
Trademarks
“Most people believe the cakes originate from Hai Duong City because (most sales are made on the side) of National Highway 5, which links Ha Noi and Hai Phong via Hai Duong,” the district’s chairman speculated.
“But the cakes in Hai Duong City are made by people who emigrated from Ninh Giang.”
As reported by the district administration, most cake makers have not registered their patent with the city’s science and technology department.
Bui Van Binh, 50, one of the largest cake makers and owner of the ‘Nhan Hung’ trademark said he didn’t register in last few years because it had already been registered by another.
Binh, who has continued the tradition he learnt from his grandfather, said the label created under his grandfather’s name in the 1940s was finally restored in 1993. The family would only have been able to save the national brand name if they had submitted the documentation earlier including a fee of VND3 million. He also complained that he was informed of this news too late to do anything about it.
Currently, none of the district’s 200 cake makers have registered a patent or have been issued an ISO certificate by the city’s science and technology department.
“We discussed issues concerning patents with the cake makers,” said Giang, “but they still hesitate because of the fees and procedures. They may think a patent is simplistic, but they do not understand the value it will hold in the future.”
“I know now very clearly the importance of the patent procedure,” said Binh, “and I will do that soon,” adding that his bakery’s capacity of 1,000 cakes per day would sell better with a protected brand name and insured quality.
The district administration has asked the city to create more opportunities for the products by promoting them at trade fair exhibitions.
Giang said the district plans to hold more cultural festivals to attract travellers from other localities to the district.
“Organising festivals in the district is a good chance for us to promote traditional products as well as economic development,” Giang concluded. — VNS