GI benefits yet to be fully realised

While Kampot pepper and Kampong Speu palm sugar carry the brand-building Geographical Indication (GI) status, newcomers seeking the same tag continue to wait for funding to get their products off the ground. In 2010, Kampot pepper and Kampong Speu palm sugar were the first Cambodian goods to obtain the World Trade Organization-backed GI status, an upgrade that links quality of a product to its origin, protects it under international law and creates brand recognition on the global stage. Prices of GI-labelled products are often higher than those without the certification, according to sellers of the pepper and sugar, which weren’t the only items targeted for the new status. … After joining the WTO in 2003, the Cambodian government set out building the national framework needed for achieving GI status with support and about $1.3 million in aid from Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD). … According to figures from the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association, both price and output have been rising since the GI qualification. In 2008, just four tonnes of Kampot pepper was sold: black pepper at $4.5 a kilogram, red pepper at $8 per kilogram, and white pepper at $10 per kilogram. In 2013, 21 tonnes have been sold at $11 a kilo for black, $15 for red and $18 for white. But, said Nguon Lay, president of the Kampot Pepper Promotion Association there is still not enough production to meet rising demand. …

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/gi-benefits-yet-be-fully-realised