Article Courtesy of People’s Daily Online

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Pepper from Kampot Province is well on the way to becoming the first Cambodian product to get an origin-specific label, which attests to its quality and uniqueness, the Cambodia Daily newspaper reported today.

A government study has found that among Cambodian products, it comes the closest to fulfilling the criteria required for a Geographical Indications (GI) designation, the newspaper said.

"Kampot pepper meets almost all the requirements needed to become a GI," Van Roth San, intellectual property director at the Commerce Ministry, was quoted as saying.

The next step in the process will involve a geographical indications law to ensure exclusive rights to the Kampot pepper name, and then submitting a requirement application to an international committee for approval, he said.

Meeting GI standards would be a huge boost to the pepper industry, potentially leading to a 40-percent rise in value, he said, adding that pepper currently sells for $4 per kg at markets.

Source: Xinhua