Demerara Distillers Limited has succeeded in having its Demerara Rum geographical indication (GI) recognised and protected in the European Union (EU), a move the company’s Chairman, Komal Samaroo has described as a “major development”.
With this development, Demerara Rum joins a select group of products that enjoy special treatment in international trade as it has been entered on the EU Register of Geographical Indications, a trade win this country should be proud of former Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge says.
“That registration will put this rum in the same category as Champagne (France), Tequila (Mexico) and Gruyère cheese (Switzerland). With that distinction will come a de facto international endorsement of the product’s quality and standing so that customers will also be able to be assured about its genuineness,” Greenidge told Stabroek News.
“In this era of counterfeits and fakes such endorsement is a kind of assurance that the produce so designated has benefited from being produced in this specific location, Demerara, with whatever uniqueness its environment – mud, soils, sun and water – endow. This dimension of branding should also inform and attract customers, generate greater demand for the product and enable the DDL to command a premium by way of price,” he added.
In a statement in yesterday’s Sunday Stabroek accompanying the company’s financial statement, Samaroo said the Demerara Rum GI application was officially published on April 8th, 2021 and after a period of three months without an objection has now progressed within the European Commission to be translated into the various EU languages. He said that following publication of the Demerara Rum Technical Specifications in the EU Official Journal in the coming months, the famous Guyana product will be added to the list of protected GIs in the EU.
“This is a major development in the Group’s drive to optimize the premium value of Demerara Rums as we continue the transition from merely a commodity producer to a producer of premium rums”, he said.
Also a former Minister of Finance, Planning and Trade here, Greenidge had supported the company’s 2017 certification here as the registered proprietor of the geographical indication, ‘Demerara Rum’.
He reasoned that now, more buoyant demand for the product and improved income for the company should also follow thereby benefiting DDL employees, cane farmers and Guyana as a whole.
Governments here have been criticised for not taking decisive steps to have Demerara, which has been associated for decades with sugar here, recognised as a geographical indication under the World Trade Organisation framework.
The Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has lost several legal battles overseas in relation to the usage of Demerara to describe its sugar.
In March of 2016, GuySuCo’s ongoing legal woes with Bedessee Imports Ltd came to an end as it was found that the latter was legally entitled to use the mark of Demerara Gold on its products in North America.
Greenidge said that many Guyanese stand to benefit directly and indirectly from this work, initiated several years ago when he was the Senior Director at the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and subsequently taken up and supported by the European Commission.
Stay the course
“Such support is, I might add, provided for in the CARIFORUM EPA. It remains to be seen whether the producers of other Guyana products with the same potential will stay the course, but as of August 4 2021, Demerara Rum has been treated as a product with distinctive, measurable and desirable characteristics. Characteristics distinctive that is, from other rums,” he said.
“The success of the other interested Guyanese producers will depend on their commitment, skills and our regulatory agencies such as the Guyana (National) Bureau of Standards,” he added.
He repeated his support for the initiative as he congratulated the company on its new achievement and singled out Samaroo for his persistence.
“First, to DDL management for embracing the initiative and sticking with it over the years in the face of lethargy and indifference in very surprising places and of course, resistance from competitors. In that regard, Mr. Komal Samaroo, in particular, should be mentioned. Mr. Samaroo, who inherited the assignment from Mr. Yesu Persaud, his predecessor, has persisted with this endeavour with considerable energy and conviction not to mention great calmness,” he said.
“DDL attained this happy point after years of endeavour. In pursuit of this goal of branding highly desired but often unsung characteristics of certain products originating in Guyana, a number of other entities, including GuySuCo and the Ministry of Agriculture, joined the MoFA in the exercise,” he added.
Much energy, according to Greenidge has been devoted to raising local awareness and expertise. He recalled a December 2016 conference which was convened in Georgetown to disseminate information on Geographical Indications.
Again, in the first week of Sept 2019 the MoFA with Inter-American Development Bank funding, convened in Guyana the latest workshop on GIs. Other collaborators and agencies assisting in this endeavour over the years have included the CRNM and its successor, the Office of Trade Negotiations at the CARICOM Secretariat and the Deeds and Commercial Registries Authority. The World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland was also mentioned in this context.
He said that it remains for the other interested enterprises in the private sector in relation to sugar, molasses and coffee, “to pursue with conviction, skill and commitment at least equal (to) that of the rum industry” so that those products may also “enjoy the benefits open to this select band of producers associated with GI products.”
For their contributions to the company’s, and by extension the country’s new trade accomplishment, Greenidge thanked a number of persons, both here and overseas.
“In pursuing GIs the MoFA relied on the energy of its Mission in Brussels so special mention should be made of our former Ambassador to Belgium, Dr P.I. Gomes, outgoing Ambassador David Hales and their officers particularly, Senior Foreign Service Officer, Ms Bevon McDonald.
“Most importantly Mr. Bernard O’Connor, Senior Counsel (Ireland) and Resident Partner of NCTM Brussels has played a pivotal role in the exercise in general and that of DDL in particular. His firm has helped to prepare the case for consideration by the ACP-EU and has worked with locals, to train the relevant officials and to raise public awareness. In addition, to the preparation of technical material and advice, Prof O’Connor has constantly encouraged us, reminded us of deadlines, cajoled and even pleaded with us to ensure that the Government of Guyana and its agencies did what was necessary and did so in the timely manner needed,” he added.
He said that DDL itself funded the firm’s work on rum, during which exercise Prof O’Connor S.C, “displayed the same energy, enthusiasm and support”.
