Rice exports increased in both volume and value.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development , Vietnam's total rice exports in the first 11 months of 2024 reached nearly 8.5 million tons with a value of US$5.31 billion, an increase of 10.6% in volume and 22.4% in value compared to the same period in 2023. The average export price of rice in the first 11 months of 2024 is estimated at US$627.9/ton, an increase of 10.6% compared to the same period in 2023, the highest ever.
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| Rice exports in the first 11 months reached over $5.3 billion. (Photo: CT) |
Not only has the volume and value increased, but in recent years, the structure of Vietnam's rice production has continuously changed towards increasing the proportion of high-quality, high-value rice and decreasing the proportion of low-grade rice.
Vietnamese rice not only ensures national food security but also enjoys international renown. Vietnam has become one of the world's leading rice exporting nations, both in terms of quantity and quality. In the world's best rice competition, Vietnamese rice has consistently ranked in the top 3 for several years, with ST25 rice being named the world's best rice twice.
However, on an international scale, Vietnam has yet to build a widely recognized national rice brand, and there is a lack of privately-owned rice brands on global retail shelves.
When it comes to Vietnamese rice, consumers still don't have a specific idea of what kind it is. While Thailand has Thai Hom Mali rice, India and Pakistan have Basmati rice, Japan has Japonica rice, Italy has Arborio rice, and the US has Calrose rice…
Mr. Le Thanh Hoa – Deputy Director of the Department of Quality, Processing and Market Development (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) – said that the Vietnamese rice brand has been under government direction since 2017, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has completed the certification of the Vietnam Rice brand, registered for protection under the Madrid Agreement, as well as registered for protection in 20 countries worldwide such as Russia, China, the Philippines, etc. However, the issuance of regulations on the use of the Vietnamese rice brand is facing obstacles related to the registration of legal procedures…
Specifically, to use the Vietnamese Rice certification mark, we must establish regulations to ensure that businesses and cooperatives producing rice meet the required quality standards. However, Vietnamese rice has many different varieties and seeds, so basic legal and technical regulations require businesses and producers to meet certain requirements before they are allowed to use the Vietnamese Rice certification mark. Therefore, we still need to issue regulations so that the management agency can monitor the quality of the rice. Otherwise, we cannot successfully build the Vietnamese Rice brand.
"We are building a Vietnamese Rice brand certification for ST25 rice – a rice variety that has been twice voted the best rice in the world, but to be associated with the Vietnamese Rice brand, there needs to be a monitoring process throughout the cultivation, harvesting, processing, and preservation stages," Mr. Le Thanh Hoa explained.
We need the collaboration of three parties.
According to Mr. Le Thanh Hoa, since ST25 rice was voted the best rice in the world, many countries have become aware of Vietnamese rice. When talking about Vietnamese rice, it's not just ST25 rice, but many other varieties as well. However, for Vietnamese rice to become a strong brand, market demand is the primary factor. Based on the needs and preferences of each market, we develop and build brands for each type of rice.
For example, in the Philippine market, the Northern Food Corporation (Vinafood 1) and the Southern Food Corporation (Vinafood 2) are major exporters. Therefore, it is necessary to build a brand for DT8 rice to ensure consistent quality, thereby increasing its value and expanding its market share in this country.
On the other hand, many Vietnamese businesses are exporting high-quality Vietnamese rice products such as A An rice and ST25 rice to the US and EU; Japonica rice to Japan and South Korea; and especially DT8 rice from Vietnam, which is the most favored by the Philippines.
These are branded rice varieties, but to associate them with the Vietnam Rice certification for entry into markets, the issue is not only the responsibility of state management agencies but also requires the cooperation of businesses, producers, and exporters to help Vietnamese rice establish its position in the markets of countries importing Vietnamese rice.
Along with that, we must build a good process in all stages, what we call logistics, for rice from the field to the consumer's hands, and these processes must be implemented in the best possible way. The "three parties" must work together to build the brand.
Choosing the right type of rice and deciding what steps to take to establish a national brand for Vietnamese rice that is familiar and a top choice for consumers worldwide is both an aspiration and a task for management agencies, localities, businesses, and industry associations in the current period.
Vietnam already has two industry associations related to rice: the Vietnam Food Association and the Vietnam Rice Industry Association. A national rice brand logo program was developed six years ago, and the idea of a national rice council is currently being promoted. All of these efforts aim to build a national brand for Vietnamese rice, thereby elevating it to the level of leading global rice brands from Thailand, India, and Japan.
To gather opinions, ideas, contributions, and suggestions from experts, businesses, industry associations, managers, farmers, cooperatives, etc., in order to jointly develop a roadmap and direction for successfully building a Vietnamese rice brand in the near future, on the afternoon of December 10th, Tuoi Tre newspaper, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in coordination with the People's Committee of Soc Trang province, organized a workshop entitled "Building a National Brand for Vietnamese Rice". The workshop will be attended by representatives from ministries, departments, and localities in the Mekong Delta region, businesses, industry associations, cooperatives, and economic experts. Notably, it will include experts from the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), Thailand, and other countries. This is a significant event in the context of Vietnam's rice industry achieving impressive export successes. This workshop is the first activity in a series of communication programs aimed at building the brand of Vietnamese rice, initiated by Tuoi Tre Newspaper and organized from 2024 to the end of 2025 and in subsequent years. The program aims to create an open forum, encouraging active participation from leading experts, businesses, and experienced managers, to provide practical suggestions that will contribute to building a stronger Vietnamese rice brand in the international market. |
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